BALTIMORE — For the longest time - to be specific, more than a hundred years - the state of Maryland has had control over the Baltimore Police Department. The gears are in motion to change that.
The mandate from folks testifying at Baltimore City Hall Wednesday night: get it passed.
Voters overwhelmingly approved it last November, but there are still a few things that need to happen to finalize it, both at the state and city level.
Sergio España, a 20-year Baltimore resident, advocated for the change at city hall Wednesday with the Campaign for Justice, Safety & Jobs and the ACLU of Maryland.
"You would have local government, which has to respond to local needs, be consistently accountable to follow through on their responsibilities," España explained, "as opposed to passing the buck at the state level."
At the Wednesday night hearing, folks urged the council to approve measures that would turn the keys back to the city: they'd change the city charter and pass a separate bill, each outlining the basic structure of the department, and each of which are under consideration right now. Then, the state must change its language.
"It's more of a technical thing to clean up," Nick Mosby, the Baltimore City Council president, explained, "the section of the code that embedded the control to the state - so we're just asking them to clean it up and completely strip it out."
So, civics lesson aside: why is all this so important?
"[The state legislative session is] only 90 days, it's at the state level," España said. "The majority of the folks that would make that decision are not Baltimore residents, are not Baltimore elected officials."
If the full council OKs the charter amendment, voters would again have to approve it on the ballot.
Council President Mosby says there are two more town halls for folks to give their opinions: December 4 and 7 at city hall.
