OVER-POLICED YET UNDERSERVED POLICE MISCONDUCT IN WEST BALTIMORE

fraud were reported in 70% of accounts, while
instances in which officers planted, tampered
with, or invented evidence to advance a case
were reported in 45%. It was alleged in 46% of
cases that the department manipulated institutional
procedures to frustrate the advancement
of an investigation or unfairly penalize
claimants. Similarly, 29% of accounts cited the
utilization of excessive paperwork and filing
processes to delay or exhaust an investigation.
A failure to hold abusive officers accountable
was presented as the factor most damaging to
the legitimacy of the bpd:
““
When you got police officers that sworn to
protect and serve the community, and you
violate or take advantage of the privilege of
your badge to violate, imprison and just have
no disregards for anybody’s civil rights, you
should be held accountable.
—Mr. O., Resident
There was a consensus expressed within the
testimonies that misconduct from individual
officers stems from and is perpetuated by an
institutional culture that fails to hold wrongdoers
accountable. In cases in which informants
filed complaints and sought legal redress for
their grievances, only 25% saw their cases officially
resolved, and only 2% to their satisfaction.
The sentiment that “the system is broken” and
PICTURED IS THE FAMILY OF JEFFREY MARROW,
WHO WAS KILLED IN A POLICE INVOLVED
SHOOTING IN 2006.
that the law enforcement structure is
riddled with corruption was echoed
repeatedly among the testimonies.
A family that lost a loved one to
a police-involved shooting shared
the following account. The State’s
Attorney deemed the shooting “justified”
and refused to provide the
family members with any information
about the investigation leading
to that conclusion. In addition, the
government performed an autopsy
without familial consent, which
the family would not have provided
for religious reasons. During
the investigation, the family called
the detective’s office “almost every
day” and “couldn’t even talk to the
detective.” The family was never
given an autopsy report; the family
learned that their loved one’s
death was caused by a shot to the
back of the head because the funeral
home director provided them with
photographs.
WEST BALTIMORE COMMUNITY COMMISSION ON POLICE MISCONDUCT 17