Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Police Reform Advocates To Disrupt Opening of MD Legislative Session
The Real News speaks with Baltimore legislators, advocates and activists about what they say are necessary changes to state law including the Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights, and a planned protest on January 15th -January 9, 2015
Transcript:
JAISAL NOOR, TRNN PRODUCER: Welcome to The Real News Network. I'm Jaisal Noor in Baltimore, where advocates and adds activists have gathered to unveil their legislative agenda for 2015. On top of the list is reform of state law that some say prevents accountability of abusive officers, especially the Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights.
Maryland's police bill of rights is among the strongest such bills in the country. While it does not shield police from criminal investigation, it does keep internal disciplinary procedures secret and gives officers ten days before they speak to internal investigators. It also stipulates that only law enforcement can investigate and punish other law enforcement.
~~~
NOOR: "The law is working as it should", said Washington County Sheriff Douglas Mullendore, president of the Maryland sheriffs association. "There are no statewide problems with the [law] as it is currently written."
The executive director of the state Chiefs of Police Association, Larry Harmel, told The Sun that there's obviously concern that reform will be tried, and their "antennas are up" is what he told The Baltimore Sun.
What's your response to that?
JILL P. CARTER, MARYLAND DELEGATE (D-41): Therein lies the problem, the fact that they're in such deep denial that there is a problem. It isn't working as it should if it's protecting bad officers, and it's in their own interest to make the proper changes, so that they're preserving the integrity of law enforcement. And right now they're not doing that. So it's unfortunate that they're so unwilling to acknowledge the truth and make proper changes. But we just have to push through that like a bulldozer and force them to do the right thing.
in full: http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=12977
