BALTIMORE — There will be no more court oversight for certain areas within the Baltimore City Police Department for the first time in eight years.
Last week, a judge found it had sustained compliance for two areas for more than a year: transportation of persons in custody and officer assistance and support under its agreement with the DOJ, after both parties made a motion last month to make it official.
READ MORE: BPD announces significant consent decree progress
The decision came down almost a decade to the day since Freddie Gray died, most notably due to the injuries he sustained while being transported.
The department overhauled its policies, implemented extensive training and upgraded its vehicle equipment maintenance as part of the Consent Decree.
"The Baltimore Police Department has improved tremendously since 2015 and we'll continue to do that every part of the department," Mayor Brandon Scott said at a memorial event in Gray's honor Saturday morning.
READ MORE: BPD claims compliance with consent decree on how they transport suspects
The city first entered into the agreement in 2017 after the DOJ found numerous violations of constitutional rights.
There are still several areas that remain under the court's jurisdiction, including impartial policing, use of force and misconduct investigations.
At the quarterly meeting last fall, a judge indicated BPD was in full compliance with another two core elements of the consent decree; first amendment protected activity and working partnerships with City School Police and noted they were making great progress in their interactions with young citizens.
