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City Council Leadership React To Firing Of Comm. Batts

BALTIMORE (WJZ)—City Council leaders react to the Mayor's decision on Wednesday after she announced a change in command within the Baltimore Police Department.

Christie Ileto reports.

City Council leadership tell WJZ they support the mayor's decision and that they hope this kind of sets Baltimore in a better direction so they can tackle the surging crime wave and focus last on this war of words that has been playing out in the public between the mayor, FOP and the police.

"The mayor and police union and new commissioner are going to have to sit down, talk out the issues so we can stop being childish," said Councilman Brandon Scott. "Right now people are dying on our city and that is all I care about. That is all I have the ability to care about."

RELATED: Baltimore Mayor Fires Police Commissioner Anthony Batts

"Having a new commissioner, I think that we -- I think that all the energy, I think that the ministers, the council, business leaders--I think that we're all saying to the mayor and to the police that, 'Hey, we want a change, we want to move forward,'" said Councilman Edward Reisinger.

The mayor has to present recommendations to the city council on the police commissioner but there's no telling on when that will take place.

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