Baltimore Police Department Slammed By Judge At Federal Court Hearing

RadioOnFire.com - Baltimore's revolving door of police commissioners took center stage Thursday at a federal court hearing. The federal judge overseeing the consent decree order repeatedly pushed the city to get stability in police leadership.

The hearing comes as the city is currently taking applications for the permanent police commissioner.

The judge called the departure of Darryl DeSousa and the federal charges against him of failing to file tax returns a "big blow." He said reform needs stability to at the top.

Interim City Police Commissioner Gary Tuggle got credit for holding down the fort of the Baltimore Police Department, but the judge overseeing the department's consent decree also repeatedly stressed the need to get a permanent chief on board.

"I will remain deeply troubled about the probability of success until the leadership void is successfully addressed. Who will be the next commissioner? Will he or she have what it takes to lead the department out of the wilderness?" the judge said.

City Solicitor Andre Davis responded that 10 candidates have already applied.

"Some people thought no one would apply for this job, but people have and people know it's a challenge. We are going to find the right person to lead us out of the wilderness, because we are in the wilderness," Davis said.

For his part, Tuggle told the judge he is a "transformational leader."

"At the end of the day, I know I am capable of running this police department. I am also capable of building capacity. I have shown that throughout my police career," Tuggle said.

The judge harshly criticized the department's response to the shooting death of Sean Suiter in Harlem Park and the officers who were supposed to be following new policies on search and arrest.

Referring to the virtual lockdown of the neighborhood, the judge asked, "What policy was governing command and control of that scene? Reports are going to say it wasn't coherent."

Responded Tuggle: "I don't want to sit back and, Monday morning, quarterback another commissioner. I think the commanders during that time did what they thought was right."

The department's technology gaps are a big item in the consent decree. One example: After the death of Freddie Gray, the department equipped its transport vans with cameras. But, as the judge noted, the cameras are not on any network, so the data just hits a dead end, staying in the van.

Also, a member of the monitoring team said the department's radios will become obsolete in December.

Source WBAL