Interim Commissioner Davis Discusses Revamped Investigation Team
BALTIMORE (WJZ) – There have been big changes in the Baltimore City Police Department after Interim Commissioner Kevin Davis said he's revamping the police unit investigating the death of Freddie Gray.
Jessica Kartalija reports for WJZ.
A special investigations response team (SIRT) is based on a model devised in light of a justice department investigation into the Prince George's County Police Department. Davis, a former commander in Prince George's, helped oversee use-of-force reviews during that time.
"When a police officer is involved in a death of another human," Davis said, "We better have our best and brightest attached to that investigation."
"The force investigation team is now the special response team, and I think SIRT is a more inclusive name for what they do."
SIRT will members undergo extensive training on homicide investigations and crime scene analysis, and will be trained at the medical examiner's office.
Davis says they will now have a greater familiarity with the intricacies associated with a death investigation in cases similar to Freddie Gray's.
He also said the new team will investigate any critical event that impacts community trust or confidence.
When asked if revamping a team would realistically improve relations between the department and the community, Davis said he believes so, and that he's always looking for opportunities at all levels to make improvements.
"When the community knows that we take things seriously before a crisis erupts," said Davis, "they will remember the importance we attached to the creation of SIRT."
