BALTIMORE (AP) — On the streets of Baltimore, it’s tough to find confidence that a police shield and city-issued dark blue uniform promises integrity and competence.
With Maryland’s biggest city already under court oversight to address longstanding patterns of unconstitutional policing, particularly in predominantly African-American communities, a specialized gun-recovery unit made up of rogue detectives was brought down this year in a far-reaching federal investigation. Simultaneously, the city has been casting for its fourth police leader in a year while the flailing Baltimore Police Department faces pressure to bring down violent crime levels that are among the nation’s worst.