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Baltimore Council Grills Police and Oversight Bodies as Chair Decries 'Crisis of Purpose'

New complaint totals revived questions over who controls police accountability.

Overview

  • The City Council’s Public Safety Committee convened BPD, the PAB, the ACC and OECR for a hearing in which Chair Mark Conway said the oversight network faces a crisis of purpose.
  • BPD reported 959 complaints involving members of the public so far in 2025, naming 675 officers, with 286 officers having two or more complaints.
  • The Administrative Charging Committee said it has heard 974 misconduct cases this year, with body-worn camera violations among the leading allegations.
  • OECR and PAB officials said their requests for BPD to reopen or supplement investigations were often ignored, while BPD defended evidence-based decisions and characterized most camera violations as late activation.
  • Council members pressed for a single public database of complaints and outcomes, and the officer seen in a viral cruiser pursuit remains suspended pending an investigation.