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| Baltimore Fires Another Police Commissioner, After Record High Murder Rate | Baltimore Fires Another Police Commissioner, After Record High Murder Rate |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The mayor of Baltimore abruptly announced on Friday that she had fired city’s police commissioner after a year of unprecedented violence in the city. | The mayor of Baltimore abruptly announced on Friday that she had fired city’s police commissioner after a year of unprecedented violence in the city. |
| Mayor Catherine Pugh said that Darryl De Sousa, a 30-year veteran of the department who was most recently a deputy police commissioner, would replace Kevin Davis, who became commissioner in 2015. Mr. De Sousa will be Baltimore’s ninth police commissioner since 1994. | Mayor Catherine Pugh said that Darryl De Sousa, a 30-year veteran of the department who was most recently a deputy police commissioner, would replace Kevin Davis, who became commissioner in 2015. Mr. De Sousa will be Baltimore’s ninth police commissioner since 1994. |
| Baltimore experienced a record murder rate last year and had by far the highest rate of the 30 most populous cities in the United States. | Baltimore experienced a record murder rate last year and had by far the highest rate of the 30 most populous cities in the United States. |
| There have been more than 300 homicides there in each of the past three years, including 343 recorded in 2017. By comparison, New York, which has a population more than 10 times that of Baltimore, recorded 286 murders last year. | There have been more than 300 homicides there in each of the past three years, including 343 recorded in 2017. By comparison, New York, which has a population more than 10 times that of Baltimore, recorded 286 murders last year. |
| “The fact is, we are not achieving the pace of progress that our residents have every right to expect,” Ms. Pugh said in a statement. | “The fact is, we are not achieving the pace of progress that our residents have every right to expect,” Ms. Pugh said in a statement. |
| In a news conference, Ms. Pugh explained why she had suddenly chosen Mr. De Sousa to replace Mr. Davis, with whom he had worked hand-in-hand. | In a news conference, Ms. Pugh explained why she had suddenly chosen Mr. De Sousa to replace Mr. Davis, with whom he had worked hand-in-hand. |
| “I’m impatient,” she said. “We need violence reduction. We need the numbers to go down faster than they are.” | “I’m impatient,” she said. “We need violence reduction. We need the numbers to go down faster than they are.” |
| She then turned the podium over to Mr. De Sousa, who said he had already begun an initiative to flood the city’s streets with waves of police officers from 9 a.m. to midnight. | She then turned the podium over to Mr. De Sousa, who said he had already begun an initiative to flood the city’s streets with waves of police officers from 9 a.m. to midnight. |
| He indicated that he would hew to anti-violence measures introduced by Mayor Pugh in August, referring several times to a surplus of officers who would be better deployed on the city’s streets than in administrative positions or elsewhere. | He indicated that he would hew to anti-violence measures introduced by Mayor Pugh in August, referring several times to a surplus of officers who would be better deployed on the city’s streets than in administrative positions or elsewhere. |
| “The priority as of this moment right now is really simple — it’s a really simple priority and that’s violence reduction,” he said. “Second priority is violence reduction, and third priority is violence reduction at an accelerated pace. That’s the bottom line.” | “The priority as of this moment right now is really simple — it’s a really simple priority and that’s violence reduction,” he said. “Second priority is violence reduction, and third priority is violence reduction at an accelerated pace. That’s the bottom line.” |
| He added that the department had identified the “trigger-pullers” in the city and that it would be pursuing them, though he quickly added that that pursuit would be carried out “in a constitutional manner.” | He added that the department had identified the “trigger-pullers” in the city and that it would be pursuing them, though he quickly added that that pursuit would be carried out “in a constitutional manner.” |
| “I’m a chess player,” he said. “I don’t like to be outwitted.” | “I’m a chess player,” he said. “I don’t like to be outwitted.” |
| Mr. Davis was appointed after the death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year old man who was killed after sustaining a spinal cord injury while riding unsecured in a police vehicle. Mr. Davis presided over several years of violence and protest, but demonstrated that he was dedicated to reform, working closely with the United States Department of Justice as required by the city’s consent decree with the federal government. | Mr. Davis was appointed after the death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year old man who was killed after sustaining a spinal cord injury while riding unsecured in a police vehicle. Mr. Davis presided over several years of violence and protest, but demonstrated that he was dedicated to reform, working closely with the United States Department of Justice as required by the city’s consent decree with the federal government. |
| Criminal justice reform advocates were surprised at the news of his sudden dismissal and thanked him for his service. Sherrilyn Ifill, the president of the N.A.A.C.P. Legal Defense and Educational Fund and a longtime Baltimore resident, described his “unyielding commitment” to the consent decree process. | Criminal justice reform advocates were surprised at the news of his sudden dismissal and thanked him for his service. Sherrilyn Ifill, the president of the N.A.A.C.P. Legal Defense and Educational Fund and a longtime Baltimore resident, described his “unyielding commitment” to the consent decree process. |
| “Commissioner Davis recognized that building trust between the community and the Baltimore Police Department requires a commitment to the promotion of constitutional policing practices, and meaningful and respectful engagement with the community,” she said in a statement, adding that the organization looked forward to working with the new commissioner. | “Commissioner Davis recognized that building trust between the community and the Baltimore Police Department requires a commitment to the promotion of constitutional policing practices, and meaningful and respectful engagement with the community,” she said in a statement, adding that the organization looked forward to working with the new commissioner. |
| Darlene Cain, the president of the police reform advocacy group Mothers on the Move, lamented the continuing violence in the city but testified to Mr. Davis’s involvement on the ground. She said that he had been meeting with her group monthly and that she hoped that Mr. De Sousa would do the same. | Darlene Cain, the president of the police reform advocacy group Mothers on the Move, lamented the continuing violence in the city but testified to Mr. Davis’s involvement on the ground. She said that he had been meeting with her group monthly and that she hoped that Mr. De Sousa would do the same. |
| But Ms. Cain, whose son was killed in a confrontation with police officers nearly a decade ago, said she was not surprised by Mr. Davis’s abrupt removal. | But Ms. Cain, whose son was killed in a confrontation with police officers nearly a decade ago, said she was not surprised by Mr. Davis’s abrupt removal. |
| “Nothing is truly shocking anymore,” she said. “You just move forward and continue to strive to do better with whoever comes in that seat next.” | “Nothing is truly shocking anymore,” she said. “You just move forward and continue to strive to do better with whoever comes in that seat next.” |
| Mr. Davis’s predecessor, Anthony Batts, was also fired after an increase in violence, by then-Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. Mr. Davis served as acting commissioner for three months before he was confirmed by the City Council as permanent commissioner. Mr. De Sousa, too, will need to seek confirmation from the Council. | Mr. Davis’s predecessor, Anthony Batts, was also fired after an increase in violence, by then-Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. Mr. Davis served as acting commissioner for three months before he was confirmed by the City Council as permanent commissioner. Mr. De Sousa, too, will need to seek confirmation from the Council. |
| Lester Davis, a spokesman for Bernard Young, the president of the City Council, said that he expected “a reinvigoration at the troop level” under Mr. De Sousa, adding that he thought the new commissioner would reverse the malaise hanging over the department. | Lester Davis, a spokesman for Bernard Young, the president of the City Council, said that he expected “a reinvigoration at the troop level” under Mr. De Sousa, adding that he thought the new commissioner would reverse the malaise hanging over the department. |
| “A lot of officers have been paralyzed because they haven’t had direction, they haven’t had clear instruction,” he said. | “A lot of officers have been paralyzed because they haven’t had direction, they haven’t had clear instruction,” he said. |
| He emphasized that the challenges that Mr. De Sousa faced were twofold, as he helped to overhaul a department tarnished by a Justice Department report accusing it of systemic racial biases and abuses while continuing with the community policing strategy that his predecessor had adopted. | He emphasized that the challenges that Mr. De Sousa faced were twofold, as he helped to overhaul a department tarnished by a Justice Department report accusing it of systemic racial biases and abuses while continuing with the community policing strategy that his predecessor had adopted. |
| The force has been involved in a number of embarrassing episodes in recent months, including in July, when an officer was suspended after a body-camera recording appeared to catch him placing drugs at the scene of an arrest. | The force has been involved in a number of embarrassing episodes in recent months, including in July, when an officer was suspended after a body-camera recording appeared to catch him placing drugs at the scene of an arrest. |
| There have been indications that the rank-and-file were unhappy with leadership. In a letter to the Baltimore Sun reporter Kevin Rector last January, Gene Ryan, the president of the Baltimore Fraternal Order of Police, said that within the department, officers felt as if they were “severely understaffed and under attack from all sides, including from within the command ranks of the BPD.” | There have been indications that the rank-and-file were unhappy with leadership. In a letter to the Baltimore Sun reporter Kevin Rector last January, Gene Ryan, the president of the Baltimore Fraternal Order of Police, said that within the department, officers felt as if they were “severely understaffed and under attack from all sides, including from within the command ranks of the BPD.” |
| Chuck Wexler, the executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, which helps advise departments on reforming their use-of-force policies, had worked with Mr. Davis. He said that the sudden firing was characteristic of a new reality in which mayors held police chiefs accountable for the murder rate. | Chuck Wexler, the executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, which helps advise departments on reforming their use-of-force policies, had worked with Mr. Davis. He said that the sudden firing was characteristic of a new reality in which mayors held police chiefs accountable for the murder rate. |
| “This is a sign of the times,” Mr. Wexler said. “Twenty-five years ago, the conventional thinking was, no matter what the police do, it doesn’t make a difference. Today, expectations on the part of mayors have never been higher.” | “This is a sign of the times,” Mr. Wexler said. “Twenty-five years ago, the conventional thinking was, no matter what the police do, it doesn’t make a difference. Today, expectations on the part of mayors have never been higher.” |
| But he said that Mr. Davis had moved to make changes in the department, even when it was unclear whether the Trump administration would enforce the consent decree, which originated under President Obama’s Justice Department. | But he said that Mr. Davis had moved to make changes in the department, even when it was unclear whether the Trump administration would enforce the consent decree, which originated under President Obama’s Justice Department. |
| “It can be daunting to have to deal with both implementing reforms and dealing with violent crime at the same time,” Mr. Wexler said. | “It can be daunting to have to deal with both implementing reforms and dealing with violent crime at the same time,” Mr. Wexler said. |