Home | BaltimoreBrew.com
The Dripby Mark Reutter5:10 pmMay 26, 20150

Can Batts get the job done? A five-page response

The police commissioner offers a defense of his policies

Above: Police Commissioner Anthony Batts has offered a detailed defense of his administration’s progress.

Today the Baltimore Police Department tweeted: “Have you read the response to the question can #PCBatts get it done?”

The department was referring to a five-page letter Commissioner Anthony W. Batts released last Thursday after his first press conference since the Baltimore curfew ended on May 3.

We quoted a portion of the release in a post on Friday, but given the department’s emphasis on the document as its official response to the issues swirling around policing, crime and the agency’s direction – from the Freddie Gray case to strained community relations to the increase in homicides – we thought the letter should be reprinted in full.

Among other matters, Batts says he is actively responding to community concerns about police discourtesy, has separated almost 50 employees from the agency, and increased the conviction rate of the police trial board from 50% to 91%.

He also disclosed a high turnover at the agency’s upper ranks, saying that more than 90% of the command staff “is newly promoted or in new positions” consistent with the department’s new philosophy on policing.

“Everyone would like nothing more than to wave a wand to omit history and grievances,” Batts writes. “[T]he police department is committed to seeking and implementing long-lasting, effective solutions built for the real world.”

Here is his letter titled, “Making it happen”:

batts pg 1
batts pg 2
batts pg 3
batts pg 4
batts pg 5

Most Popular