The Justice Department delivered a scathing report on the Baltimore Police Department.
Yes, the same department that arrested Freddie Gray who ended shortly thereafter.
The Justice Department states that there were systemic problems that plague the police department.
Much like the Ferguson findings, the DOJ report alleges that for more than a decade the police in Baltimore have engaged in a pattern of excessive force and targeting of African Americans.
Vanita Gupta is the Deputy Assistant Attorney General:
“Indeed one African American man was stopped thirty times in less than four years with none of those stops resulting in a citation or a criminal charge.”
The misconduct, according to the report, happens in two predominantly black neighborhoods, one of which was Freddie Gray’s neighborhood.
The report also states that many times police supervisors ordered officers to target blacks.
Kenny Avery, a resident of Freddie Gray’s former neighborhood told CNN he’s not surprised, that most residents knew it all along and that he’s heartbroken that his 3-year old son has to witness it.
“He scared of the police just because you know what I mean because he see it. A 3-year old just sit there and he on the front. He see people just sit there doing nothing and then the police hop out and just grab you. I’m not talking about hop out and say come here go in your pockets and anything. I mean hop out and they grab you, slamming you.”
Because of that, the report states that many law abiding citizens don’t even call the police for fear of retribution.
Those who have been caught up in the system have lost more than just their pride.
While sitting in jail or awaiting court dates, residents say many of them have lost jobs and other opportunities for bogus, trumped up charges.
The police department is promising an overhaul.
The chief even said during a press conference that this year he has laid off 6 officers and there could be more coming in an effort to hold officers accountable for their actions.
All of that despite all 6 officers involved in the Gray case either being exonerated or charges dropped against them.
