ADVISORY: Mayor Pugh’s Statement on the Gun Trace Task Force Verdict

City of Baltimore office of the mayor

Catherine E. Pugh

Mayor,
City of Baltimore

250 City Hall • Baltimore, Maryland 21202 • 410-396-3835 • Fax: 410-576-9425

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT

Monday, February 12th, 2018

Amanda Smith
410-215-3909
amanda.rodrigues-smith@baltimorecity.gov

MEDIA ADVISORY

Mayor Pugh’s Statement on the Gun Trace Task Force Verdict

 

 

Baltimore, Md. — “The verdict rendered by jurors in this disturbing trial is clearly the right one, given the abundance of compelling and damning evidence against these former officers of the now disbanded Gun Trace Task Force. I want all of our citizens to know that I have likewise been appalled by the level of dishonesty and betrayal that these individuals, and others also implicated, perpetrated here in our community. There is no more important element to effective policing than trust between the men and women of our police force and those they have sworn to protect and serve. The shocking issues revealed in hours of testimony are precisely the reason we forged ahead with the Department of Justice Consent Decree this past year. They are why we have instituted our daily Violence Reduction Initiative meetings at police headquarters. They are also why we have launched our Call to Action community meetings. They are why we have accelerated our efforts to reduce violence in our city and why I have appointed new leadership at Police Headquarters. Each of these initiatives represent our commitment to changing the culture and practices of our police force, creating the necessary dialogue and collaboration between citizens, community leaders and officers, and making clear that honor, integrity, empathy and service are the non-negotiables of any person granted the privilege of wearing a police uniform and badge on the streets of Baltimore. I am confident that this sordid chapter of policing culture can be closed as we work each and every day to re-establish the trust and confidence that our citizens need and deserve to have in their police officers. Toward this end, we will be relentless.”

 

Mayor Catherine E. Pugh

City of Baltimore

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