Questions are raised about accountability of school police
Investigators found lapses in oversight, blurred lines of authority in departments
Department of Justice investigators said the Baltimore Police Department relied on school police officers to supplement patrols throughout the city — a practice they said muddied lines of accountability within the two departments.
The Police Department “essentially used the Baltimore School Police as an auxiliary force to BPD,” the investigators wrote.
Under a memorandum of understanding with the Police Department, school police officers have jurisdiction and power of arrest throughout the city.
Justice Department investigators found that school officers often filled staffing shortages on the city police force, responded to calls and made arrests.
“This creates considerable risks for both the officers and members of the public because lines of authority are not clear if a crisis of some kind arises,” the investigators wrote.
They said questions of accountability were of particular concern when officers from both agencies responded to incidents in which officers had to use force.
The school district noted Wednesday that it entered a new memorandum of understanding with the Police Department in February. The Justice Department report covered the years from 2010 to 2015.
“We are reviewing the Department of Justice report and its implications in light of the new agreement,” the district said in a statement.
The Justice Department found that school police were mentioned in several internal affairs files reviewed by investigators.
Videos have surfaced in the last year showing two violent altercations between school police officers and students. Both cases resulted in criminal charges being filed against officers.
Local and national civil rights advocates and organizations have called on the Justice Department to expand its investigation to include the school police department.
The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund argued that “the expansion of DOJ's probe to include the school police force is necessary because of the close working relationship that BPD has with the school police.”
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