The Justice Department Finds Racial Bias In The Baltimore Police Department- blogged by @niksofly

A 160-page report authored by the #UnitedStates Justice Department was released to the public on Wednesday. Its indications were conducive to what #RayKelly has always believed — there is police bias in Baltimore. Kelly, 45, is a community organizer that has been attempting to document police bias since the death of #FreddieGray.

Gray died at the age of 25, due to a spinal cord injury he sustained while in police custody. Although traditional media has cited his death as the accelerant to the disconnect between police and civilians, Baltimore Mayor, Ms. Stephanie Rowlings-Blake attributes it to years of a “broken-relationship”. At a press conference on Wednesday, she addressed the report with police commissioner, Kevin Davis alongside.

State delegate, Jill Carter (D), sees the effects of the investigation as already being positive. However, City Council member, Brandon Scott regards it as “huge taste of ‘too little, too late.’ ” Scott is also vice chairman of the committee that overseas the police. He believes the “long-overdue” investigation is “government doing what it should.” The delay in inquiry may be to resources. According to NYT, the Former Justice of the Department official and supervisor of the #Ferguson inquiry ,Jonathan Smith, cites lack of resources as a problem for the JD. The Justice Department resources could only investigate a fraction of the cases where “civil rights engagement” was needed.

The statistics are astounding. The #NewYorkTimes reports that while blacks accounted for 63%of the population, “91% of those arrested for discretionary offenses like “failure to obey” or “trespassing” were African-American.” Blacks also accounted for 82% of the traffic stops, but only made up 60% of the driving population. In cases of pedestrian offenses, 410 pedestrians were stopped at least 10 times within a 5.5 year time span. 95% of those pedestrians stopped were black.

The real implication of the findings have yet to be determined. Did Baltimore or any of the two dozen cities President Obama’s administration have investigated for a widespread unconstitutional policing really need an investigation to determine what has been written in history or trended on social media? While training is set to take place, it doesn’t mean the problem will be eradicated. It isn’t “lack of knowledge” that is the problem. It’s lack of respect. No one should have to give their life for society to say “we have a problem”.

-Niko Rose