City of Baltimore - File #: 10-0217R

• File #: 10-0217R
• Version: 0
• Name: Investigative Hearing - Dismissal of Rape Cases
• Type: City Council Resolution
• Status: Adopted
• File created: 7/12/2010
• In control: Public Safety Committee
• Final action: 12/9/2010
• Title: Investigative Hearing - Dismissal of Rape Cases FOR the purpose of directing representatives from the Baltimore City Police Department, the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City, and the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice to appear before the Council to explain the reasons why an abnormally high percentage of rape complaints in Baltimore are dismissed as unfounded and to discuss what changes must be made to ensure that rape allegations are investigated properly and respectfully.
• Sponsors: President Young, Warren Branch, James B. Kraft, Bill Henry, Sharon Green Middleton, Belinda Conaway, Helen L. Holton, Agnes Welch, Mary Pat Clarke, Edward Reisinger, Robert Curran, Carl Stokes, William H. Cole, IV
• Indexes: Rape Cases, Resolution

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result
12/9/2010	0	Public Safety Committee	Recommended Favorably
12/9/2010	0	City Council	Adopted
8/9/2010	0	Public Safety and Health Committee	Scheduled for a Public Hearing
7/15/2010	0	The City Council	Referred for a Report
7/15/2010	0	The City Council	Referred for a Report
7/15/2010	0	The City Council	Referred for a Report
7/12/2010	0	City Council	Introduced
7/12/2010	0	City Council	Assigned
7/12/2010	0	Public Safety and Health Committee	Scheduled for a Public Hearing

* 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: President Young

A RESOLUTION ENTITLED

A COUNCIL RESOLUTION concerning
title
Investigative Hearing - Dismissal of Rape Cases

FOR the purpose of directing representatives from the Baltimore City Police Department, the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City, and the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice to appear before the Council to explain the reasons why an abnormally high percentage of rape complaints in Baltimore are dismissed as unfounded and to discuss what changes must be made to ensure that rape allegations are investigated properly and respectfully.
body
Recitals

A recent review of FBI crime statistics by the Baltimore Sun found that a troublingly high percentage of reported rape cases in Baltimore are ultimately classified as unfounded by the Baltimore Police Department. According to the Sun report, over the last 4 years more than 30% of alleged rapes investigated by detectives each year have been deemed unfounded, five times the national average. Worse, 40% of calls to police involving rape allegations were never even referred to sex crimes detectives.

Both of these percentages are among the highest in the nation, and together they mean that the majority of the time that the police are alerted to a possible rape the allegations are eventually dismissed. A rape report in Baltimore is more likely to be dismissed as false or baseless than in any other city in America.

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