Every summer, I meet with advocates in the mental health community to discuss what issues they think I should work on when we return to Annapolis. 

We haven’t met yet, but I’ve already raised two issues.

Should the police continue to make house calls when it’s known in advance that an individual has a mental health problem?  Or should a better trained social worker be sent to the home?

This is not a new issue. Police in Baltimore City receive a lot of crisis de-escalation and mental health training, both as recruits and during in-service trainings. Prior incidents led to legislation that resulted in better training.  The Department of Justice consent decree has increased these efforts

 The calls to defund the police after George Floyd’s murder bring this issue to the fore again. 

Second issue: A good friend has suggested that some police recruits may be racially biased to an extent that training can’t address. 

So I’ve asked the advocates, “Is there a way to test if an applicant is predisposed to bias? 

If so, should they be denied the opportunity to become a police officer?

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In the Legislation class I teach, we discuss the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1957. 

It was the first civil rights bill enacted by the Congress since Reconstruction. 

Legislation to make lynching a federal crime was one of the more prominent issues that failed during that eighty-year period

Congressional passage of such a bill, in response to George Floyd’s murder,  is imminent.

Should we pass such a bill in Maryland? 

I’ve asked the Attorney General’s Office how such a law would relate to our hate crimes statute. 

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   You can speak with Dr. Sonja Santelises, CEO of the Baltimore City Public Schools,  and Police Commissioner  Michael S.Harrison.  They will be our guests on 41st District Town Halls – Dr. Santelises on June 16 and Commissioner Harrison on June 25.  Both will be Zoomed from 5:30-6:30.  Details will follow.