A charter amendment that could prove the penultimate step in Baltimore securing local control of its police department received full support from residents during a city council hearing on Wednesday.
The Baltimore City Council met to consider two items, one of which is a proposed amendment that would enshrine the overall governing structure into the city’s charter; any change to that would require a vote from the residents. The other is a bill that outlines more mundane daily department procedures that could be changed by the council without requiring a vote from the public.
A diverse group of residents urged the council to take no delays in passing the amendment, which would still go before the voters in 2024.
“You’re actually modeling what local control was all about. You’re using your ordinary lawmaking authority to begin to regulate the BPD. And it’s really very exciting to witness,” said Toby Ditz, a District 11 resident who came on behalf of Jews United for Justice.
“We’ve been doing this work for years… We have overwhelmingly proven that we can lead ourselves. We can do what every other jurisdiction in our state has done. We can supervise and provide direct oversight for our own police department,” said Sergio Espana of District Seven.
Read more (and listen) at WYPR.
