BALTIMORE — Members of a board meant to hold police accountable were sworn in Wednesday at Baltimore City Hall.
The Baltimore Police Accountability Board convened for the first time - beginning with a ceremony, then their first meeting, meant for introductions and familiarizing members with the process.
The group is tasked with reviewing complaints, both from the public and from within departments, of alleged police misconduct, and meeting each quarter with local law enforcement leaders.
The board will oversee Baltimore City Police, as well as police for city schools and colleges including Morgan State, Johns Hopkins and Baltimore City Community College.
"This isn’t about bashing the police department," said Joshua Harris, a board member, "it’s about, how do we work to improve an agency in the city just like we would any other agency.”
The board does not have the explicit power to discipline officers; it, and the adjacent charging committee, makes recommendations.
"You’re seeing folks be held accountable in ways they weren’t before," Mayor Brandon Scott told WMAR. "This is another level, another step at that. And we know consistently these things will change and evolve over time."
According to a publicly-available city report on the board, there have already been over 300 complaints from July 1 to mid-December.
