BALTIMORE — Twelve days after the mass shooting in Brooklyn, city officials gathered on Thursday to discuss what unfolded on July 1.
City council members were accompanied by members of the Baltimore Police Department, the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, the Housing Authority of Baltimore City, and the Department of Transportation.
Interim Police Commissioner Richard Worley began the hearing by addressing the actions of the police department that day.
"We should have been actively working to find out when Brooklyn Day was," Worley said. "It was going to happen this year. It’s happend 27 years in a row. There was no reason not to happen this year."
RELATED: Two killed, 28 injured overnight in a mass shooting in South Baltimore
According to Worley, three sergeants and 17 officers began working that night at 3 p.m.
Dispatchers received the calls for service concerning the event beginning around 9:30 p.m.
Some of those calls were coded as no officer response.
Police requested the department's helicopter over the area around 10:30 p.m.
City Council President Nick Mosby explained that the police response to the crowd at the Brooklyn Day event did not seem to compare to police response if the event had occurred in other communities, such as Federal Hill or Fells Point.
Councilmembers questioned the police department's awareness of the Brooklyn Day event. Councilwoman Phylicia Porter said she was able to find the event on Instagram.
"Clearly, there is not enough of a relationship being built [between police and the community]," said Councilman Zeke Cohen. "Someone would have said 'we need to have the event staffed by officers.'"
Worley explained the department has a team dedicated to monitoring social media for events, but was not aware of the Brooklyn Day event.
Councilwoman Odette Ramos called for an external evaluation of the police department, rather than an internal investigation. Worley responded that he would be willing to participate in that evaluation.
Police are expected to release a full internal report, including 'who knew what and when,' and protocol changes 'that could ensure better real time communication.'
