The Baltimore Police Department recently announced that it would be installing new cameras capable of recording in all its police vans by an unspecified date. But maybe they should start by removing offensive signs first.
CNN reports that at least one Baltimore police van includes a sign gleefully instructing passengers to “enjoy your ride, cuz we sure will!” (And before you start spouting conspiracy theories about Photoshop, the sign has apparently been authenticated by several news organizations.) Terrible spelling aside, this seems like exactly the wrong kind of message to be sending in the current post-Freddie Gray atmosphere. Or even pre-Freddie Gray! Ideally, police officers are calm, rational enforcers of the law, not vindictive powermongers who enjoy messing with people they’ve got handcuffed inside a van.
The Baltimore Police Department has said that the sign is “inappropriate” and that it’s taking the photos “very seriously.”
