* WARNING: THIS IS AN UNOFFICIAL, INTRODUCTORY COPY OF THE BILL.
THE OFFICIAL COPY CONSIDERED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IS THE FIRST READER COPY.
INTRODUCTORY*
CITY OF BALTIMORE
COUNCIL BILL R
(Resolution)
Introduced by: Councilmember Kraft
A RESOLUTION ENTITLED
A COUNCIL RESOLUTION concerning
Title
Investigative Hearing - Fighting "Quality of Life" Crimes
FOR the purpose of requesting the Baltimore City Police Department, the Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office, and affected citizens to report on arrests made, cases declined for prosecution and the best practices employed to combat "quality of life" or "nuisance" crimes in Baltimore City.
Body
Recitals
The Baltimore City Police Department (BPD) has been subject to repeated allegations that officers are being forced to increase arrests, especially for nuisance crimes to attain certain performance quotas. The Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office, American Civil Liberties Union, the NAACP, and members of the Baltimore City Council continue to insist that officers are being forced to increase arrests and are being penalized if their arrest numbers are not high enough.
According to Federal Uniform Crime Reporting data, the number of Part I arrests made by Baltimore City police officers for more violent offenses rose from 2000 to 2001, but has been declining since 2001. Meanwhile, Part II arrests, which include more minor "quality of life" offenses, rose from 2000 to 2003, declined from 2003 to 2004, but rose again in 2005.
Critics of the BPD suggest that the increase in Part II arrests from 2004 to 2005 is due to an overall increase in the number of arres...
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