Posted on 11/30/23
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Baltimore, MD - Nov. 30, 2023 - For over a century, the state of Maryland has held control over the Baltimore Police Department, but efforts are underway to change this long-standing arrangement, according to WMAR2News. Baltimore City Council President Nick Mosby emphasized the importance of regaining local control of the police department. While voters supported this change last November, it still requires further steps at both the state and city levels. The proposed measures involve amending the city charter and passing a separate bill to define the department's structure. Ultimately, the state needs to adjust its language in this regard. Mosby explained, 'It's more of a technical thing to clean up, the section of the code that embedded the control to the state - so we're just asking them to clean it up and completely strip it out.' The importance of this move lies in ensuring local accountability and responsiveness to community needs, rather than deferring authority to the state level. With only a 90-day state legislative session, local voices, like Mosby's, are striving to shift decision-making back to Baltimore residents and elected officials. If the city council approves the charter amendment, it will return to the ballot for voter approval