Less Than 9 Percent Of Baltimore City Police Officers Respond To Ethics, Misconduct Survey
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The Commission to Restore Trust in Policing, formed last year in response to the illegal activity of the Gun Trace Task Force, hoped officers would participate in mass to a survey on misconduct.
But that didn't quite happen.
Less than nine percent of city police officers responded when sent an ethics and misconduct survey.
"The culture of BPD is still not good," Commissioner Parker said.
"Even the police officers don't trust where they work," Commissioner Robb said.
Attorneys hired by a state commission sent the survey and said neither the department nor the union wanted to disseminate it.
"We have an organization where not everybody is pulling an oar in the same direction. They seem to be battling each other," attorney Peter Keith said.
Of those who did participate, overtime fraud was the most common type of misconduct witnessed, and a frequent practice of the disgraced Gun Trace Task Force.
"Lying to supervisors, lying to co-workers, lying on probable cause statements, lying about overtime. These responses suggested officers need to be caught early in these lies before that leads to more misconduct," attorney Meghan Casey said.
Officers surveyed suggested the GTTF was allowed to go unchecked because the department's focus on stats and pressure to produce arrests.
"Expressed a desire to make a smaller number of good cases that lead to convictions," Casey said.
They recommended the department conduct integrity checks and more ethical training which left some of the commission hopeful.
"To hear that part of the survey gives me hope that police officers recognize the deficiencies in the department and want to be part of the solution," said Gary McLhinney.
Former Commissioner Anthony Batts was scheduled to appear in front of the commission on Monday but had to postpone due to a personal matter. They hope to interview him next week.
