May 2, 2024

Public Safety Alert! Happening Now! Baltimore Police Officer Shortage!

As most know, the BPD is short some 700 police officers. This has led to the remaining 1,950 to work forced overtime and to have some of their days off canceled. On any given day, every shift is short of the uniformed patrol officers who protect our communities. In some cases, 50% short. This shortage is because the BPD cannot retain and recruit officers. Here are some of the reasons why (just to name a few):

• The BPD is woefully underpaid as compared to the surrounding jurisdictions that take our recruits and veteran officers on a continuous basis.
• Working conditions are abysmal. Our station houses would be condemned if they were not government buildings that are not under MOSHA control.
• Lack of functional equipment.
• The Public Integrity (IID) Deputy Commissioner is hunting down and charging working police officers as if it is some sort of sport just to feed statistics for the failing Consent Decree. Many of these charges are exonerated or not sustained over time. These charges will haunt officers over their entire careers even if they are proven untrue.

To make the situation worse, the BPD is now taking officers from these already short shifts and units all over the agency and moving them to provide security at the Baltimore Orioles games instead of patrolling the streets of Baltimore. That’s right Baltimore, your BPD is now prioritizing Orioles games over your public safety! As a result, they are putting even more of the burden on an already understaffed and overworked BPD.

The city and departmental leadership need to adjust their priorities and realize that on-duty BPD officers need to be in the field protecting our residents. All involved should be ashamed of themselves for even considering that this is a priority over the safety of our citizens and neighborhoods.

The FOP is asking all residents to contact their City Council Representative or the Office of the Inspector General’s Office to have these irresponsible and dangerous decisions reviewed.

Mike Mancuso, President