Newsmaker: Baltimore Police Comm. Michael Harrison On Reforms, Crime Reduction

Tom's Newsmaker guest today is Baltimore City Police Commissioner Michael Harrison. While the Maryland General Assembly is considering multiple bills to reform policing, and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott has introduced a public safety plan, the City Police Department continues to implement reforms mandated by the 2017 Consent Decree with the US Department of Justice. In the most recent Consent Decree hearing in January, the judge overseeing the process had good things to say about the department’s progress in hiring and training programs, but also demanded that it start showing palpable results when it comes to monitoring and punishing officers for misconduct. Last month, the department reported a dramatic decrease in misconduct complaints, as it announced new policies governing stops, searches and arrests. The BPD can point to certain categories of crime that have decreased in recent months, but homicides and non-fatal shootings continue to plague several areas of the city where violence has long been a regular dimension of daily life. Commissioner Michael Harrison is our guest for the hour today. He joins us on Zoom from BPD headquarters in Baltimore. We also welcome listener calls, emails and tweets.Email us at [email protected], tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.