BALTIMORE. CITY COUNCIL 'th'tldur?lmt Hmn?l?fi RYAN DORSET. 3" District I ?ymliluisey-Sr-I Haliimre-I'ilyguv Monday. Hovemberlo- It] I 3 Mayor Catherine Pugh ?it?we ofthe Mayor I'll] Holliday St. Rm 351] Baltimore+ MD 2! EH2 Dear Mayor Pugh. It is impossible to overstate the importance ofthe position of Police Commissioner. During a time ofspiraling violence. we have had four Commissioners in five years. I take my cord?Irmation vote very serious ly- as my constituents in the 3rd District expect. This letter is intended to outline my expectations related to con?rming the next Police Commissioner for the Baltimore City Police Department. Many ofmy colleagues on the City Council share my concerns regarding the level ofcommunication and transparency to the City Council from past Commissioners. There have been verbal promises ofimprovement from past commissioners that never materialized. Past Commissioners have been resistant to providing forthrigt'lt and transparent answers in hearings before the City Council. This posture from Commissioners has at times bordered on adversarial. whereas most citizens expect to have a relationship of partnership and collaboration with the Police Commissioner. These communications and transparency issues have been accompanied by a near constant stream of scandals and reports ofrancor and disarray from within the Department itself. Collaboration and partnership with the City Council is ofutrnost importance. especially considering the high level ofturnover at the position ofDistriet Commanderf the Northeast District is on its ?fth District Commander since I too]: of?ce in December ofE?l Con?rming the next Police Commissioner begins with conducting an excellent selection process that produces better results than the last three. My support for the nominee is contingent on the following factors: - The nominee will provide me access to his personnel ?les from his last four plnres Philadelphia- Missouri City- TX: Allentown, Pitt: Fort Worth. TI. - The nominee will grant me access to any information- reports. and communications gathered by the City of Baltimore in its search for and selection of the candidate. and all such communications will be provided to me by the Mayor's - The Mayor's Df?ce and the nominee will provide me with a clari?cation ofthe expected level ofpartnership and collaboration between the Police Commissioner and the City Council l[the job description omitted any mention ofthisj. - The nominee will meet privately with me for a minimum oftwo hours priorto a End Reader vote on his con?rmation. - The Mayor?s Of?ce will provide a written statement of what its definition ofa successful tenure for the next Police Commissioner is- including grounds for termination or extension ofthe Police Commissioner's contract and what it anticipates the length oftenure for the Commissioner will be. Via the Executive Norrunations committee hearing process and our private meetings- I expect to hear a plan to overcome the communication problems and other issues enumerated above- as well as the nominee's perspective on substantive matters including the following: - 1 What is the nom inee's perspective on how police resources should be allocated to non-violent drug offenses the War on Drugsl or low-level nuisance offenses {i.e.r Broken Windows policing]. and how will this inform his leadership of the Department? - Does the nominee support greater local control ofthe Police Department? The creation ofa board ofcommissioners to oversee the Reforms to Maryland's Law Enforcement leflcers' Bill of Rights? How would the nominee plan to testify on these or other reform measures before the Mary land Creneral Are there any othertopics 1which can 1 EALTIMBRE CITY COUNCIL ?stun 53.1 .a - - RYAN Dismct Ultikez-li?-Hadall RyanIm-y-?i he addressed either Ie islat it'ely er administratively an which the nmninee intends ta Ichhy the lIl'1eneral Assembly. the Governor. er ecunterparts in atherjurisdictians far sLaspart? What is the numinee's perspective an waste and fraud within the Department. partiallarly as it relates ta avertime expenses? As the Camissiuner is ene of many stewards afthe lIf.'i1.'y's bread interests. will the commit to cutting waste and liaud within the Department in ardu: tel ease the strain ul'the Department an the IE?ity hud get? Haw. speci?cally? - What is the neam inee's perspective cm the causes el?the Baltimare Uprising? . What is the 1mm inee?s perspective on the ?blue wall dl'silence?. inc lad in haw this is similar ta ?step snitching"? Dues the Department's ability at lack thereui'tu address the ?h wall al'silence" have any hearing on its ability te- c-an ?'cint ?st-up snitching" culture? Far a Department that is widely thcught ta he in need a fresh start. haw will the rte-mince act immediately in the short- term ta make change? Dues he anticipate res istance tea his eff-arts? Haw d-aes he plan te: ayereeme such resistimce? How will he de?ne success and measure pmgress? Having never run a Department as large cur as challenging as Baltimare's. what makes the nominee quali?ed to run the Baltimore Felice Department? What makes the naminee the hest tussihle candidate far this jah at this time? Is the neuminee cunimitted te remaining in the persitiun cll'C'ammissicner for as lung as it takes tea achieve success? I leak l-?arward te- thereugh ean?rmati-an process. Sincerely. Ryan Dersey Baltimare IIiI'ity lE'enuncil. Third District cc Cuttncil President Yemg. Haminee lcel Fitzgerald