BALTIMORE, MD (Friday, March 7, 2025) - Today, Mayor Brandon M. Scott, Police Commissioner Richard Worley, and City Solicitor Ebony Thompson announced that the City and BPD filed a joint motion with the United States Department of Justice ("DOJ") asking the United States District Court for the District of Maryland to find the City and BPD in sustained compliance and terminate two sections of the BPD Consent Decree: sections relating to the Transportation of Persons in Custody and Officer Assistance and Support.

If the Court grants the parties joint motion, it will be the first time in the 8-year history of the Consent Decree that individual sections of the Consent Decree are terminated, with the City and BPD released from the Court's jurisdiction over those sections. The development represents yet another milestone for BPD, which is undergoing a transformation against the backdrop of historic reductions in violent crime.

Prior to the Consent Decree, DOJ found numerous violations in the way that BPD transported individuals in custody. Nowhere was this more evident than with the tragic death of Freddie Gray who died after suffering injuries sustained while being transported in police custody. The Consent Decree required BPD to overhaul its transportation policies, including implementing extensive training and upgrading its vehicle equipment maintenance. More than a year after BPD was found in full and effective compliance with this section of the Consent Decree, BPD published a self-assessment of its transportation procedures through compliance audits and vehicle inspections. The assessment demonstrated that BPD can sustain compliance in this area in the future without court oversight.

Similarly, the Consent Decree requires BPD to improve its support for the physical and mental well-being of officers. In January 2018, BPD created the Officer Safety and Wellness ("OSW") unit to support officers' development of healthy lifestyles and to deal with the stresses of being a police officer in Baltimore. The OSW supports officers through early interventions, employee assistance programs, peer support and guidance, critical incident response, and other activities that promote physical and mental wellness. BPD promotes the availability of these resources to all its members, leading to an increase in use of key resources like mental health counseling. During last year's sustainment period, BPD was able to successfully demonstrate that it could continue to evaluate its performance without court oversight.

"This is an historic day for our City" stated Mayor Brandon M. Scott. "When I became Mayor, one of my first priorities was to see the transformative work of the Consent Decree through to its completion. Today, we can finally begin to see the finish line take shape for the dissolution of the Consent Decree. I give my gratitude to the men and women of the BPD who have made this happen."

"Demonstrating sustained compliance marks another milestone in our commitment to transforming the Baltimore Police Department and I am incredibly proud of the men and women of BPD for their dedication to building trust and service to our city," said Police Commissioner Richard Worley. "Through enhanced policies, training and accountability systems, our department continues to self-assess and self-correct, ensuring lasting progress under our consent decree. The public has my full commitment that these changes reflect a true cultural shift within BPD, a fundamentally reformed agency that serves as a national model for reducing violent crime and upholding constitutional policing."

"The changes required under the Consent Decree were never going to happen overnight," added City Solicitor Ebony Thompson. "But members of the public should understand that while court intervention is no longer needed for these two sections, the City will continue to ensure that BPD not only adheres to the Constitution, but leads the country when it comes to the transportation of individuals in custody as well as how we take care of our officers."

The City and DOJ have filed joint motions asking the Court to find BPD in sustained compliance with these sections of the Consent Decree, and the parties await a ruling from the Court at the parties next public hearing on April 17, 2025.