Baltimore Co. Traffic Stops Spark Equitable Policing Work Group

BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD — Data show that African-Americans were cited during traffic stops at a rate higher than other groups in Baltimore County in 2018. The finding prompted County Executive Johnny Olszewski to form a work group in collaboration with Police Chief Melissa Hyatt to evaluate the Baltimore County Police Department's policies and practices. It will recommend ways to ensure policing in the county is equitable.

"Today we are taking steps to provide a closer look at our data, promote fairness, improve accountability and build a safer, stronger county," Olszewski said.

He issued an executive order creating the work group that said the 2018 traffic stop data "does not necessarily establish bias or discrimination but is a cause for concern and merits a thorough examination" because "Baltimore County has an interest in eliminating implicit or explicit bias in all aspects of policing."

Baltimore Co. Police Chief Melissa Hyatt: 2018 data shows AfricanAmericans issued citations at a higher rate than others. Hyatt says data merits examination. @FOXBaltimore pic.twitter.com/XYlb3TCwu1
— John Rydell (@JohnRydell1) November 1, 2019

Baltimore County Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Troy Williams will lead the group. He said he was "committed to taking swift action...to review the data and identify actionable recommendations that will ensure equitable policing across Baltimore County."

These members will make up the work group:

• Crystal Francis, community representative
• Tony Fugett, Baltimore County NAACP
• Baltimore County Councilman Julian Jones, District 4
• Baltimore County Board of Education student member Omer Reshid, youth representative
• Col. Robert McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department
• Blue Guardians President Anthony Russell
• Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger
• Towson University Professor of Criminal Justice John Skinner
• Delegate Charles Sydnor
• Cole Weston, Fraternal Order of Police
• Chief Melissa Hyatt, Baltimore County Police Department (ex-officio)
• Drew Vetter, Baltimore County Deputy Administrative Officer (ex-officio)

The Baltimore County Workgroup on Equitable Policing will meet at least once a month, hold two public input sessions on race-based traffic stops and issue a draft report by July 2020 and a final report by August 2020. There will also be a work group website.

A consultant with expertise in law enforcement, data and the impact of bias in policing will be contracted to examine the department parallel to the work group, Olszewski said.

Here is the data provided by Baltimore County, based on information from the Maryland Statistical Analysis Center:

It shows that there were only two precincts of 12 in Baltimore County where whites were cited more than blacks — Cockeysville and Dundalk. In all police precincts except Cockeysville and Essex, blacks were stopped more than whites overall.

The racial breakdown of the population in Baltimore County is as follows, according to 2018 data from the U.S. Census: white alone (60.8 percent), black alone (29.7 percent), Asian alone