Change underway in disciplinary process for Baltimore police officers

BALTIMORE —A big change is underway in the disciplinary process for Baltimore police officers.

Some of the secrecy surrounding police discipline will soon be gone as part of an overhaul of the process announced Tuesday on the heels of an 11 News I-Team report that aired Sunday night. The I-Team's report revealed how few cases in which people complain about officers actually move forward.

Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis promised a much more robust effort to hold police officers accountable.

"Much has been said, reported and written lately about shortcomings with discipline and accountability. I hear and profoundly understand those concerns," Davis said.

As it stands now, the process that investigates and disciplines Baltimore police officers is secret. Investigators work out of an off-site building. Administrative disciplinary hearings, in the fraction of cases that get that far, are held out of public view at headquarters.

That will soon change.

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