BALTIMOREPOLICEDEPARTMENT

OFFICE OF THE POLICE COMMISSIONER

MEDIA RELATIONS SECTION

Anthony W. Batts
Police Commissioner

Captain J. Eric Kowalczyk

Director

Baltimore Police Department Responds to FOP Lodge 3 June

16, 2015 Press Release
Baltimore, Md., June 16, 2015 - Working to protect the citizens of Baltimore while
keeping officers safe has been at the forefront of every action taken by Police
Commissioner Batts since September of 2012. Policy changes, equipment, new vehicles,
implementing national best practices in operational and administrative procedures have
been at the forefront of reform initiated by the Police Commissioner. Reform is a process
that takes time and the unprecedented civil unrest at the end of April 2015 highlighted areas
of concern. Since those days the agency has moved quickly not only to address equipment
and training concerns, also to rebuild bridges with communities and look for areas to
improve moving forward.
That is why there is confusion over the press release issued by the Fraternal Order of Police
Lodge 3 on June 16, 2015. The allegations in the release are both inaccurate and in some
cases blatantly false and misleading. In a conversation with President Gene Ryan, the
Baltimore Police Departments Chief of Legal Affairs assured Mr. Ryan that by weeks end
they hoped to be able to turn over the requested information. Mr. Ryan had no objection to
that date. The assertion that [Commissioner Batts] has done nothing to investigate
protocol shortcomings and better prepare our officers is at best an attempt to mislead and
at worst a direct contradiction of known facts.
In a May 27, 2015 email to Police Commissioner Batts, FOP Lodge 3 President Gene Ryan
said:
Please let me begin by thanking you for attending last nights membership meeting at the
Lodge. Your appearance, in the face of so much animosity, was very courageous and I
know well that your remarks were heartfelt. We are certain that you sincerely want the
input of our officers and members in any discussion relative to the BPD response to the
riots. Having said that, allow me to also thank you for the invitation to participate in the
discussion with Chuck Wexler from PERF:

It was in this May 27th email that the official request was made for the information
mentioned in the aforementioned press release:
however, in order for us to contribute to any informed conversation we will require
access to the following, beforehand.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

All communication tapes (on all pertinent channels) throughout the crisis
All Command level text messages
All Watch Center logs
Any After Action reports generated to date
Any equipment that was ordered during the crisis and on which dates

BALTIMOREPOLICEDEPARTMENT
OFFICE OF THE POLICE COMMISSIONER
MEDIA RELATIONS SECTION

Also, we will need answers to the following questions:

1.
By what authority were the BPD legal advisors allowed to give criminal legal advice
during this civil crisis?
2. After the events in Ferguson, MO, what planning for a similar situation in Baltimore
was undertaken and what documents were produced from that planning?
3. Are there any future plans to allow commanders to determine arrest actions instead of
Legal Affairs?
And, lastly, we would like any legal advisors who determined arrest action, or lack thereof,
to also participate in this meeting as they were, apparently, the final command authority.
Thank you, in advance, for your continuing cooperation.
Respectfully,
Gene Ryan
President
Baltimore City FOP, Lodge #3

The statement is derisive and FOP Lodge 3 should immediately withdraw the remark.
In the weeks since the civil unrest the Baltimore Police Department has taken the following
steps to address membership concerns, work to improve the safety and working conditions
for officers, all while rebuilding community ties and engaging in the crime fight. A look at
some of the steps taken by the Baltimore Police Department include:
1. An immediate post-incident conversation with Command Staff to develop a list of
needs for both training and equipment moving forward.
2. Preparing for a Mayors Office of Emergency Management After-Action Review to
be held at the end of June.
3. PERF (Police Executive Research Forum) facilitated conversations between
officers and command to engage in a lessons learned conversation.
4. The Police Commissioner pulled members of the Western District offline for a
Western District retreat with command for a listen and learn session.
5. The organization brought in Critical Incident Stress Teams to all of the districts for
several days to provide counseling for officers.
6. Civil Disturbance training has been ongoing at the Professional Development
Training Academy. While not as many officers have been sent as requested, the
training is ongoing and will continue.
7. Currently, more than 20 hours of radio transmissions are being transcribed for
release.
8. Hundreds of documents are being reviewed for release.
9. The department continues to purchase more than $2,000,000 worth of equipment
with the Mayors approval and issue the new equipment to better equip officers.
10. Mobile Field Force training is being conducted to better prepare officers.
11. The BPD brought in seven Police Chiefs from across the country to advise on
national best practice steps moving forward.

BALTIMOREPOLICEDEPARTMENT
OFFICE OF THE POLICE COMMISSIONER
MEDIA RELATIONS SECTION

Perhaps most importantly, and consistent with the Police Commissioners ongoing mission
of transparency, the International Association of Chiefs of Police was contacted on
May
,
22 2015 and asked to begin an outside, independent review of the civil unrest and the
departments response. The department made the request five days before FOP Lodge 3
asked the BPD for any information. The International Association of Chiefs of Police will
author the official review of the incident in a non-biased nonpolitical way for policy review
as well as actions and circumstances.
There is no desire on behalf of the Baltimore Police Department to engage in a war of
words with FOP Lodge 3. The president has been a steadfast advocate for his officers and
has been extremely helpful in difficult circumstances. The responsibility of the union is
wages and working conditions, not day-to-day operations. The input of the membership is
critical; however, in this case, we know that President Ryan is following the direction of a
hired public relations firm. A long-term relationship is more important than a consultants
direction of the men and women of the police department. Their use of the police
department as a political tool or powerbase is unethical at best. Which is why the
department will not ignore inaccurate and misleading statements that take away from the
work done by officers in the Training Academy and other units within the agency. These
officers are working hard to better equip and better train their brothers and sisters in law
enforcement. The organization will do all it can to support them. Their actions make the
department better able to engage in the crime fight, better equipped to keep neighborhoods
safe and better trained to be partners with the people we serve, the citizens of Baltimore.
-END-