* 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: Councilmembers Harris, Curran, Mitchell
A RESOLUTION ENTITLED
A COUNCIL RESOLUTION concerning
Title
Investigative Hearing - Police Quotas: Deja Vu All Over Again?
FOR the purpose of requesting the Baltimore Police Commissioner and the State's Attorney for Baltimore City to report to the City Council on recent allegations that a quota system that tracks the number of arrests in a number of categories is used as the basis of a performance evaluation system that determines the placement of certain members of the Baltimore City Police force.
Body
Recitals
In 2002, the announcement that Baltimore police officials were implementing a computer database to monitor the performance of the City's 3,200 officers was met with trepidation by police officers and union officials who feared that a system that collected data on sick leave and citizen complaints, as well as tracked officers arrests, car stops, accidents, and missed court dates, would be used to compare officers' performances, determine promotions and transfers, and lead to forced resignation, retirements, and firings.
The implementation of the computer tracking system was justified by high-ranking police officials as a means of positively assisting officers, by finding those who would benefit from counseling before they commit serious offenses that require strict discipline, and as a means of ultimately helping to "change the culture of the Police Department."
In July 2004, reports once again surfaced that Southwestern District officers ha...
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