Posted on 05/16/24
| News Source: FOX45
Baltimore, MD - May 16, 2024 - As Baltimore City struggles to balance its budget, the cost to protect city officials is mounting, increasing by more than a million dollars from 2021 to 2023.
That’s according to a new Baltimore City Inspector General report, which found the City’s Executive Protection Unit (EPU) spent $1.7 million in 2021, compared to $2.9 million in 2023.
The EPU provides security personnel for the Mayor, City State’s Attorney, and the Police Commissioner.
Although, the protections aren’t provided equally among the top three officials.
Mayor Brandon Scott has twice as many BPD detectives assigned to his security team, according to the report.
The report also found Baltimore spends a lot more than other liked-sized jurisdictions on executive protections. Including Memphis, Detroit, Milwaukee, Oakland, Portland, and Tucson, who according to the report, all pay under $1 million annually to protect their city officials.
In conclusion, the OIG recommends the EPU develop a formal operating system and research future cost saving measures.
This is a developing story that will be updated shortly.