Baltimore City leaders are responding to shocking testimony came out of the corruption trial for two Baltimore police detectives.
During testimony, former detective Momodu Gondo told the jury he worked in a unit with Detective Sean Suiter and that the squad would steal money and split it.
City leaders said they were shocked to hear the news and these are claims at this point. They added that what the department needs more than ever is transparency.
"It is absolutely essential that we get to the bottom of all of what's being alleged in this case," Councilman Zeke Cohen told ABC2.
Cohen goes on to call the crimes and allegations involving Suiter and the department horrendous and upsetting.
"I'm frustrated by what we're seeing coming from this trial, coming from that DOJ report. We have got to make sure this police department is clean that it is accountable."
And it's for those reasons that city councilmen like Brandon Scott are pushing for the city to oversee its own police department.
"The oversight structure of the police department is broken. No longer should the police department be an agency of the state. Without having local control of the police department, these things will continue to go unchecked," Scott said.
During cross-examination by defense attorneys Monday, former detective Gondo said he and Suiter were in the same unit 10 years ago. Gondo claims he and Suiter were on the take; stealing and splitting the money.
"When you talk specifically about Detective Suiter, the first thing you have to say is that we also have to make sure that these things can be proven. Anyone can say anything when they're on trial," said Scott.
Suiter died a homicide detective. He was killed November 15th and died the next day; the same day he was scheduled to testify before a federal grand jury in a case involving Gun Trace Task Force supervisor, Sgt. Wayne Jenkins.
"We know from the previous commissioner saying that he had no involvement, but then finding out that this may have taken place so it's hard in terms of the public confidence hopefully it's something we can work through and get some more information about," said Councilman John Bullock.
BPD says it's working with the FBI n reference to Monday's testimony. Commissioner-designate Darryl Desousa has formed a corruption investigation unit specifically focusing on the gun trace task force.
