Bias in Baltimore

Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore called a federal Department of Justice report cataloging systemic abuses by Baltimore's police "sobering and distressing.” In a statement released on Aug. 10, the archbishop called it “an affirmation of those in our community who have long criticized the policing strategies and practices of the [police] department and a repudiation of those whose actions have undermined both public trust as well as the inherent dignity of those they have sworn to serve and protect.” The report detailed a pattern of repeated violations of constitutional and statutory rights that eroded the community's trust in the police. It also revealed racial bias on the part of Baltimore police. In a city that is 63 percent black, African-Americans made up 95 percent of those stopped at least 10 times without arrests or citations and 91 percent of those arrested whose only charge was "failure to obey" or “trespassing." Archbishop Lori encouraged people “to read the report, reflect on the findings and consider the role that each of us should play in bringing about much needed change.”