The aftermath of Freddie Gray’s death has led to Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony Batts finding himself on the wrong side of the unemployment line as Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake felt like he wasn’t getting the job done.
Reports The Baltimore Sun:
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said Wednesday that she has replaced Police Commissioner Anthony Batts, citing “utmost urgency” to stop a recent surge in violence.
“We cannot grow Baltimore without making our city a safer place to live,” Rawlings-Blake said at a press conference at City Hall. “We need a change. This was not an easy decision, but it is one that is in the best interest of the people of Baltimore. The people of Baltimore deserve better.”
Rawlings-Blake named Deputy Police Commissioner Kevin Davis interim commissioner, effective immediately.
Rawlings-Blake’s decision came hours after she lashed out at the city’s police union for for its highly critical report of the Police Department leadership during last month’s rioting. She did not respond to a call for Batts’ resignation from faith coalition Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development.
She said the Fraternal Order of Police report did not play a role in her decision and that her motivation was instead the spate of murders that has erupted in the city over the past month.
Rawlings-Blake commended Batts for his service, citing improvements in transparency and accountability.
“Over the past three years, Commissioner Batts has served our city with distinction,” she said.
Batts served as Police Commissioner since October 2012 with a $200K-a-year salary.
We’ll just leave this here.
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Photo: ABC 2 News – WMAR YouTube
