Baltimore County Introduces Police Reforms: Cameras, Sex Detectives, Outside Review

TOWSON, MD — Baltimore County will make multiple changes to its police program to increase community safety, County Executive Kevin Kamenetz announced Wednesday.

The body camera program, which started in July and was expected to roll out by the end of 2018, will be accelerated. According to Kamenetz, the 1,400 Baltimore County Police Department officers who were slated to wear the devices will be outfitted with the body cameras by December 2017.

Currently, 128 officers have the cameras, he said at Wednesday's press conference at the Towson courthouse.

In two recent fatal police-involved shootings over the last two months, the officers who fired their weapons were not wearing body cameras. One incident resulted in the death of a 33-year-old Pikesville man suspected in a Sept. 23 bank robbery at Wells Fargo on Reisterstown Road. Another deadly shooting claimed the life of 23-year-old Korryn Gaines of Randallstown, who barricaded herself in her apartment Aug. 1 when police tried to serve a warrant.

Having every officer outfitted with body cameras “will make our communities and our officers safer," Kamenetz said.

Police Chief Jim Johnson said the cameras were welcome.

"Our officers have embraced this tool," Johnson said. "We invite it."

The police department will also invite outsiders to evaluate its policies and procedures when it comes to two separate facets of the department — sexual assault and police training.

Effective immediately, Kamenetz said that all sexual assault reports would result in an interview with a detective specializing in sex crimes. Previously, all rape reports were taken by an officer, who would usually consult with another detective in the special victims unit. Now, it is mandatory that a victim speaks personally with a specially trained sex crime detective.

The change came after a scathing article from Buzzfeed accused 14 police departments nationwide — including Baltimore County — of failing to investigate allegations of rape. Johnson and Kamenetz issued a joint statement refuting some of the article's findings but did pledge to open an investigation into the department afterward; this change is part of the reform, as is consultation with MCASA (Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault), which Kamenetz has asked to review the department's policies and procedures around processing sex crime allegations.

Another outside entity will consult with the department regarding its handling of behavioral health issues.

Millions of Americans suffer from mental illness, and "about one in 10 police encounters involves someone with mental illness," Kamenetz said.

To help keep citizens safe, he said that he has asked the Justice Center to review policies and procedures in three areas of training for the Baltimore County Police Department — cultural competency, de-escalation, and responses to individuals with behavioral health issues.

These changes came about not in response to one particular case but due to several incidents locally and nationwide, Kamenetz said.

He added that the goal is to "minimize situations...that put our citizens and our police officers in harm's way."

Related:

• Baltimore County Police to Wear Body Cameras Starting in 2016
• Officer Was Justified in Shooting Korryn Gaines: Baltimore County State's Attorney

Photo Credit: Baltimore County Police.