Feb. 26, 2021 at 7:01 a.m. GMT+8
Maryland’s historic push to transform how police do their jobs and are disciplined has created a rift in the General Assembly’s Democratic caucus, with some members of the party’s left flank concerned the bills don’t go far enough.
Sen. Jill P. Carter (D-Baltimore City), who has pushed unsuccessfully for police reform for years, said recent changes in her bill to repeal the Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights removed a key component sought by social justice advocates: community oversight.
The legislation advancing to the Senate floor, she said, is only a “smidgen” better than the bill of rights, which critics say hinders police investigations and shields wrongdoing from public scrutiny.
“If Maryland cannot bring itself to truly abolish this statute . . . it’s Maryland’s huge shame,” Carter said.