TODAY, we need these proposed reforms in Baltimore and beyond, and much more, where the Baltimore Police Department has been moving strategically toward more violent processes and tactics. This includes the current use of a war zone surveillance system to monitor all 600,000 Baltimore residents for which the American Civil Liberty Union has brought suit against. This type of military level policing system at home, violating our constitutional rights, was secretly used by BPD in 2016 and in 2020 approved for use by the Baltimore City Board of Estimates. Next is the training of Baltimore City Police by Israel’s national police, military and intelligence services in crowd control, use of force and surveillance tactics. The tactic of crushing the neck with the knee, used by Minneapolis Police to murder George Floyd, is well documented as a regular use of force in Israel. This type of military style violence is what passes for adequate police training for BPD, along with other police departments across the US. There is the continued State’s support of the Johns Hopkins University implementation of a private police force instead of finding other means to deter crime. Lastly, refer to the report from Morgan State University’s Urban Research Institute concluding that after 3 years of the DOJ Consent Decree in 2017, little change has been made between BPD and the community. Among their findings: BPD did not have a good working relationship with the community, were not held accountable for misconduct, and did not show respect for civilians.

TODAY, our political leaders have an opportunity to act with conscience today. Policy should be informed from data to directly address the racialized history and its legacy of undue violence against Black and Brown bodies, not just in law enforcement. This violence is evident in the government underfunding of housing, education, health, transportation, and recreation that created impoverished communities easily preyed upon by law enforcement. Needed now is the political and societal will to do all this. None of the above will happen without a political will and social support. In this moment, a history of police abuse has re-surfaced. However, we still are not discussing the connections between policy violence and police violence; between global practices of violence as they are incorporated into American policy and functioning; between our resource choices and their outcomes. Until we begin to do that, we will always find ourselves addressing an aspect of violence as opposed to eliminating the root cause of violence.

The Baltimore Police Department (BPD) has made little reform toward non-violent policing and improving community relations since the death of Freddie Gray while in police custody 5 years ago. Violent policing has acute and chronic outcomes on the individuals harmed and their families and communities: death, short and long term physical and mental disability to individuals harmed, family and community mental health outcomes, diminished opportunity for social and economic participation. Legislation and funding to stop the upstream causes of police violence is urgently needed. The recently proposed Maryland State legislation directed to changing current police processes and tactics, in the wake of the country calling for swift and meaningful law enforcement reform is a good step. Another good step is this week’s Baltimore City Council hearing on its annual budget in the midst of citizens call to defund spending on policing and increase funding to housing, health, and education, and alternative community policing structures. We can begin to change this all, TODAY.