Baltimore Cop: Officers ‘Holding Back,’ Morale ‘In the Sewers’

A Baltimore police officer who asked to remain anonymous said that the police’s morale is “in the sewers” and that the increase in the city’s crime is “a direct result from officers holding back” in an interview broadcast on Friday’s “AC360” on CNN.

Asked about the morale of the Baltimore PD, the officer responded, “It’s in the sewers. It’s down. It’s the worse of the worse I’ve ever seen in my career [according to CNN, the officer has been on the force for twelve years].”

The officer added that the increase in crime in the city is due to the fact that “Officers stop being proactive. … Not patrolling, just stop being proactive. … Not talking — stop being proactive. I believe it’s a direct result from officers holding back.”

He added, “After a shift call, we get together and say again, ‘We’re just going to back each other up and answer 911 calls from our dispatcher.'” And that orders from commanders go “in one ear, out the other.”

The officer continued, “Baltimore City have a certain mentality, stat driven. They want arrests. They don’t care too much about moving violations. They want arrests. The command staff believe[s] that arresting people is the way of deterring crime.”

The officer concluded, “We do not believe in Commissioner Batts, or his command staff. We want them to go.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett

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