Council hearing examines Baltimore police accountability process, highlights data gaps and staffing shortfalls

Baltimore — The Baltimore City Council’s Public Safety Committee convened a hearing on LO25-0005 to review how the city handles complaints of police misconduct and whether existing systems are delivering timely, transparent accountability.

Councilman Mark Conway, chair of the committee, said the hearing was designed to “understand whether or not these processes are living up to the promise that we've made to residents to investigate complaints in a timely manner and to hold officers accountable when they engage in misconduct.” He opened the session noting recent, high-profile police-involved incidents that have increased public scrutiny of investigatory timelines and outcomes.

The city’s Office of Equity and Civil Rights (OECR) described the framework set by the Maryland Police Accountability Act of 2021, which established a Police Accountability Board (PAB) and an Administrative Charging Committee (ACC). Director Amber Green said the city accepts complaints online, by mail and in person and that the OECR and BPD are collaborating to standardize key dates and definitions so case-tracking is consistent across agencies. “We are committed to upholding the civil and human rights for all Baltimore residents to ensure constitutional policing and equitable public safety,” Green said.

Baltimore Police Department (BPD) Deputy Commissioner Brian Dedo said the department receives about 1,500 complaints a year and that classification and assignment workflows create…