Baltimore mayor, boards disagree whether ‘immediate action’ needed on police oversight powers

BALTIMORE: So, there’s some serious back-and-forth happening in Baltimore about police oversight. The city’s three civilian-led boards are not seeing eye to eye with Mayor Brandon Scott’s team. They’re worried about losing the ability to investigate police misconduct as the Civilian Review Board is set to dissolve.

The mayor’s office thinks this change will actually make things smoother. They argue that the new boards will keep the same powers as the old one, including the ability to issue subpoenas. But the oversight boards are saying, “Hold on a second!” They feel that without new laws, they’ll be stuck relying on police departments to investigate themselves, which isn’t ideal.

Ray Kelly, who’s involved with the Citizens Policing Project, emphasized the need for everyone to come together to keep moving forward on police accountability. Meanwhile, Jamal Turner from the Police Accountability Board is calling for immediate action to protect accountability in policing.

The mayor’s office insists that no powers are being lost, but some folks, like attorney Jesmond Riggins, disagree. They think the new setup doesn’t allow for independent investigations, which is a big deal. Former NFL player Aaron Maybin, now an activist, also chimed in, stressing the importance of having civilian investigators who can operate independently from the police.

He even suggested a few solutions, like extending the Civilian Review Board’s authority or creating an independent office for police oversight. It’s clear that this issue is heating up, and everyone’s hoping for a resolution that keeps accountability front and center.