A Renewed Push For Police Reform In Maryland

Published: June 8, 2020, 4:41 p.m.

As protests of racial bias by police continue to grip the country, what are the efforts at the state and local levels pushing for change? Has this moment shifted the dynamics of the debate over holding police accountable? Will C. Smith, who chairs the state Senate’s Judicial Proceedings Committee, says incidents of abuse and a lack of transparency are stressing the fraught relations between people of color and police. We ask about his legislative goals, from implicit bias training to stepped-up disclosure of complaints. And Ray Kelly, head of the Citizens Policing Project, talks about progress Baltimore has made under the consent decree and what more needs to be done. At 11 a.m. this morning, the Citizens Policing Project invites Baltimore leaders to sign its Commitment to Reforming Baltimore at the U.S. District Court building, 101 West Lombard Street.