ERODE POLICE MORALE, COMMUNITY
RELATIONS, COMMUNITY
RELATIONSHIPS AND PUBLIC
CONFIDENCE.
FOR MORE ON THIS I’M JOINED BY
BRANDON SCOTT, THE DEMOCRATIC
MAYOR OF BALTIMORE.
A MAN WHO SOME, MAYOR, CALL
RECKLESS AND CRAZY FOR THE
THINGS THAT YOU WOULD ACTUALLY
LIKE TO DO WITH BALTIMORE
POLICE.
YOU, OBVIOUSLY HAVE BEEN CALLED
THAT BY THE GOVERNOR.
>> YEAH, AND IT’S UNFORTUNATE.
WE ARE THANKFUL AND GRATEFUL TO
THE GREAT WORK OF OUR STATE
SENATE AND STATE DELEGATION.
WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE SPEAKER
AND SENATOR FOR TAKING THE
NECESSARY STEPS TO MOVE US
FORWARD.
THE FIRST STATE TO HAVE THE
OFFICERS BILL OF RIGHTS.
WE TALK ABOUT REIMAGINING PUBLIC
SAFETY BEFORE THE UNFORTUNATE
DEATHS OF BREONNA TAYLOR AND
GEORGE FLOYD, THERE WAS FREDDY
GRAY HERE IN BALTIMORE FIVE
YEARS AHEAD OF THAT.
WE’VE BEEN UNDERTAKING THIS,
REIMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY POINT
OF VIEW, AND THAT’S WHAT WE’RE
TALKING ABOUT DOING.
WHAT THE GOVERNOR IS CALLING A
RECKLESS, IS ME SIMPLY SAYING
THAT OUR CITY THAT HAS BUDGETED
SOLELY THE BURDEN OF ARE DEUCING
PUBLIC SAFETY AND SAFETY FOR THE
NEIGHBORHOODS IS NO LONGER GOING
TO DO THAT.
WE’RE GOING TO DO IF IN A
RESPONSIBLE WAY.
WE’RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT AD
HOC GETTING RID OF, DEFUNDING,
ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE THE
POINTS HE’S MADE.
WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT IS,
ONE, FULLY COMMITTING TO OUR
FEDERAL DEKREEG TO REFORM OUR
POLICE DEPARTMENT.
TWO, PUTTING TOGETHER A GROUP OF
PEOPLE WHO CAN LOOK AT HOW OUR
POLICE DEPARTMENT IS BUDGETED.
IN A CITY THAT HAS JOHNS HOPKINS
HOSPITAL AND TEN OTHER HEALTH
AND MENTAL HEALTH INSTITUTIONS,
IF ANYONE CAN -- IT SHOULDN’T GO
TO THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE.
IT’S US.
NOT TO MENTION THAT OUR FEDERAL
CONSENT DECREE FOR OUR POLICE
DEPARTMENT SAYS THAT WE HAVE TO
REDUCE THE BURDEN ON OUR POLICE
DEPARTMENT.
THE GOVERNOR SIMPLY DOESN’T
UNDERSTAND BECAUSE HE’S NEVER
LIVED IT THE WAY I DID.
HE DIDN’T GROW UP IN A
NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE HE SAW A
SHOOTING BEFORE HIS 10th
BIRTHDAY AND THEN HE’S NOT HAD A
GUN POINTED IN HIS FACE.
WE HAVE TO REIMAGINE PUBLIC
SAFETY, NOT JUST HERE IN MY CITY
BUT AROUND THIS COUNTRY AND IT’S
NOT ABOUT ELIMINATING POLICE,
BUT IT’S ABOUT MAKING PEOPLE DO
WHAT THEY ARE TRAINED TO DO.
AND WHEN YOU SEE VIDEOS LIKE THE
ONE WE JUST SAW, WHERE SOMEONE
WHO SERVES AND PROTECTS THIS
COUNTRY IS SCARED TO GET OUT OF
HIS VEHICLE BECAUSE HE’S A BLACK
MAN BEING PULLED OVER IN THE
SOUTH ON A DARK ROAD.
HE HAD TO DRIVE TO A GAS
STATION?
THAT SHOULD BE A MESSAGE TO
EVERYONE.
BEING A BLACK MAN IN THIS
COUNTRY IS EXHAUSTING.
YOU HAVE TO WATCH YOUR BACK AT
EVERY TURN FROM POLICE, OTHER
FOLKS, AND THIS IS ABOUT HOW WE
CAN BRING THIS COUNTRY TOGETHER,
IN THIS MOMENT LIKE WE HAVE,
NEVER BEFORE.
AND FINALLY DO THE RIGHT THING.
>> AND YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT
BRINGING IN MORE HEALTH
PROFESSIONALS, MORE SOCIAL
WORKERS, MORE MENTAL HEALTH
PROFESSIONALS, THINGS LIKE THAT,
THAT CAN GET INTO THAT PROCESS
ALONGSIDE POLICE, IF NECESSARY.
AND DO THE THINGS POLICE ARE NOT
WELL TRAINED TO DO.
>> YEAH.
AND IT’S REALLY SIMPLE.
WE KNOW THAT POLICING OUR WAY
OUT OF PROBLEMS IS NOT GOING TO
WORK.
I WAS BORN IN 1984.
BALTIMORE, ONE OF THE MOST
VIOLENT CITIES AND THE POUR MORE
MONEY INTO THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT.
WE’RE IN 2021 AND WE’RE STILL --
WE KNOW WE CAN DO OTHER THINGS.
IT’S NOT ABOUT ELIMINATING THEM.
IT’S ABOUT REDUCING THE BURDEN
TO STOP OVERRELYING ON POLICE
DEPARTMENTS SO THAT WE CAN
IMPACT.
IT’S ABOUT HEALING.
IT’S ABOUT ANY CITY THAT WE LOSE
MORE PEOPLE TO OVERDOSE THAN WE
DO TO GUN VIOLENCE.
WE SHOULD BE DEALING WITH THOSE
FOLKS, HAVING OUR PROFESSIONALS
HELP OUT, AND WE CAN DO NOT THAT