Questions arise about the operation of the Baltimore Police Department’s specialized units after two recent police shootings. Residents express outrage over the excessive use of force and harassment by certain officers. The department created these units after a corruption scandal, but critics argue that they disproportionately affect low-income communities of color. The Baltimore Banner reported
In 2017, the Baltimore Police Department disbanded its plainclothes gun squad due to a corruption scandal. The move was intended to increase oversight and address the rampant violence in the city. However, recent incidents involving the department’s specialized units have raised concerns about their operations.
One of the recent incidents involved a police shooting, but body camera footage has not been released yet. Residents of the southwest Baltimore neighborhood expressed outrage over what they perceive as an unnecessary loss of life. They have complained for years about certain officers harassing residents and escalating peaceful encounters.
Rashawn McNeil, a resident of the neighborhood, stated that officers frequently “jump out” on them without reason. He questioned why the police fired so many shots during the incident. Officials claim that the officers approached a man who appeared to be armed, and when he started running and allegedly pointed a gun at them, they opened fire. The man, identified as Hunter Jessup, was pronounced dead at the hospital.
The following day, McNeil and his brother were hanging out with a friend outside an abandoned corner store when they discussed their negative interactions with the District Action Team (DAT) officers. They claimed that these officers treat them with disdain and initiate negative interactions regularly. The DAT officers wear vests identifying them as police and patrol the city’s most violent neighborhoods, but their unique attire makes them easily recognizable.
Despite the controversy surrounding the recent shooting, Police Commissioner Richard Worley defended the officers’ actions, stating that they repeatedly told Jessup to drop his weapon. He praised the officers for apprehending an armed individual. The Baltimore Police Department often commends officers for removing illegal firearms from the streets, and overall gun violence in the city has been decreasing in recent months.
The DAT squads were created after the disbandment of the Gun Trace Task Force, which faced federal racketeering charges for robbing the city and its residents. The corruption scandal prompted significant reform efforts within the Baltimore Police Department, which has a long history of problematic interactions with the city’s Black community. The department is still under a federal consent decree mandating reforms due to unconstitutional policing practices.
Other cities, like Memphis, have also dealt with issues surrounding specialized police units. Memphis disbanded its SCORPION unit after body camera video showed members beating Tyre Nichols to death. These specialized units, focused on illegal guns and repeat violent offenders, need a focused approach to be successful, according to Daniel Webster, a professor at Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Gun Violence Solutions.
However, a study conducted by Webster’s team found that about two-thirds of respondents believed that Baltimore police were targeting the wrong people. Blanket enforcement of gun laws does not necessarily make communities safer and can cause harm and distrust. Critics argue that DAT teams disproportionately affect low-income communities of color due to their proactive patrols in violent neighborhoods.
Baltimore police spokesperson Lindsey Eldridge stated that DAT officers focus on making strategic arrests of key individuals perpetuating violent crime. The department takes misconduct complaints seriously and imposes discipline when appropriate. Recent reforms have included an overhaul of the department’s internal discipline process.
Less than six months before the recent shooting, another police shooting occurred under similar circumstances. This encounter also involved DAT officers who tried to stop a teenager displaying characteristics of an armed person. The teen ran away, holding a gun, and an officer shot him from behind.
Rashawn McNeil and his brother, Rashad McNeil, expressed their frustration with having to assert their constitutional rights whenever certain officers approach them. They believe that officers view everyone as suspects unless they are old or a certain color, which they find dehumanizing.
Overall, the recent incidents involving the Baltimore Police Department’s specialized units have brought attention to ongoing issues of harassment and excessive force within the department. The community is demanding increased accountability and transparency to ensure the safety and fair treatment of all residents, particularly those in low-income communities of color..