Overview
- Mayor Brandon Scott confirmed the death and described Barksdale as a dedicated public servant, with Police Commissioner Richard Worley and State's Attorney Ivan Bates issuing tributes.
- Officials did not disclose a cause of death; Bates called the passing unexpected, and past reports note Barksdale previously took medical leave for heart and stress issues before retiring from the police department in 2014.
- Scott appointed Barksdale deputy mayor in July 2022 to oversee the police and fire departments and the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement.
- His leadership tenures coincided with sharp declines in homicides, including fewer than 200 killings in 2012 and, per recent reporting, three straight annual drops with more than a 30% reduction this year.
- A former deputy commissioner and acting commissioner, he helped create the Violent Crime Impact Division, which drew praise for results and criticism for aggressive or unconstitutional policing, and later worked in private security and as a CNN law enforcement analyst.