In August 2016, the Department of Justice published a scathing report chronicling a pattern and practice of unconstitutional policing by the Baltimore City Police Department. In the waning days of the Obama administration, the City of Baltimore and the DOJ entered into a Consent Decree that requires the BPD to make a number of fundamental changes in its policies and procedures.
In April 2017, US District Court Judge James K. Bredar began overseeing the implementation of the Consent Decree, ensuring that the City of Baltimore and BPD do what the Consent Decree requires. One of the things the decree requires is the appointment of an Independent Monitor to serve as the agent of the Court in overseeing its implementation.
In October 2017, after a public selection process, Judge Bredar appointed a respected Baltimore attorney, Kenneth Thompson, to be that Independent Monitor. He heads a team of experts in policing and police reform, civil rights enforcement, psychology, social science, organizational change, data and technology and community engagement.
Lead Monitor Kenneth Thompson and Deputy Monitor Seth Rosenthal -- both attorneys with the law firm Venable LLP -- join Tom in Studio A to discuss how the Decree-mandated reform efforts are progressing, and the difficult work that lies ahead for the Baltimore Police Department, and for the communities it serves.
This conversation was live-streamed on the WYPR Facebook page. That video can viewed here.
