Over the past four years, Baltimore City has spent nearly $13 million to settle police brutality lawsuits filed against city cops. This week, that tab got a little bigger, as the city paid a woman who was taken on a notorious “rough ride” $95,000 as well as $125,000 for a man who was shot in the arm and stomach by an officer who was trying to break up a rowdy crowd.
There are plenty of other ways Baltimore could spend $13 million. It would go a long way toward helping close the deficit faced by city schools. Looking at the city’s budget reveals that $13 million could more than double Baltimore’s after-school programs for kids, or help significantly expand the Vacants to Value project that incentivizes rehabbing derelict buildings. In fact, I can think of plenty of other ways the city could use the money. I’m sure you can, too.
And for comparison purposes: Over the same period of time, the Baltimore Sun found, Dallas has paid out $6.6 million in similar settlements. Miami has spent $1.8 million. Baltimore is clearly the outlier–and we can’t afford to be anymore.
