(Baltimore, MD) -- Baltimore is closer to having local control of its police department, instead of it being a state agency.
Mayor Brandon Scott has signed two city council bills that will embed the BPD into the city's charter and code.
“The fight for local control of BPD has been one of my top priorities since my earliest days on City Council,” said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. “This has been a long road that included years of advocacy in City Hall and Annapolis, built on more than 160 years of history. All of us are aligned in the belief that the Baltimore Police Department can only effectively serve the residents of Baltimore if they are fully accountable to them and to the City. By signing today’s bills, we take one more crucial step towards making local control a reality, meaning we take one more step to continue improving our police department.”
There are two more hurdles to cross before the city can have full control of the police department.
The General Assembly must remove a section of the city charter and voters must approve the ballot measure in the November election.
Maryland has had control of the BPD since 1860, when state lawmakers seized authority from the city's anti-immigrant "Know Nothing Party" which had been involved in election riots and violence.
Today, I signed City Council Bill 23–0445 and 23-0449 into law, putting us one step closer to regaining local control of @BaltimorePolice. https://t.co/Zj6YYKinoG pic.twitter.com/9G8vkMSO85
— Brandon M. Scott (@MayorBMScott) January 24, 2024
Information contributed by 247newssource.com.