Police Misconduct Legislation Fails In General Assembly

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) -- Baltimore's mayor strikes out in Annapolis. She was pushing a pair of bills that would crack down on police misconduct.

Alex DeMetrick reports Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake will have to try again.

Policing the police. In Baltimore, police brutality incidents have not only drawn attention, they've also brought lawsuits. An investigation by our media partner, the Baltimore Sun, found over 100 cases of citizens suing the police department for brutality and wrongful arrests and winning over $100 million in settlements.

Against that backdrop...

"Our legislation sought to give Commissioner Batts greater authority to go after the very small number of bad cops," Rawlings-Blake said.

But her two bills to change state law regarding police misconduct never made it to the floor of the State House.

"I'm disappointed that the legislation that we introduced has either already died or is standing on its last legs," she said.

But the mayor stressed changes Baltimore can make on its own are reducing citizen complaints and settlements for injuries once kept secret are now being made public.

The mayor also says changes within the department have brought out more aggressive investigations of officer behavior.

"And we're making real progress with convictions for officers who act out of line," Rawlings-Blake said.

And while the bills that would have toughened disciplinary procedures are dead, the mayor says body cameras for police are still alive and coming to Baltimore.

The mayor plans to visit lawmakers in Annapolis during their closing session Monday night, seeking advice for reintroducing her bills next year.