By Justin George
The number of Baltimore police
officers on paid suspension over misconduct allegations has shrunk by more than
half, allowing more officers to return to the street, Baltimore Police
Commissioner Anthony W. Batts announced Wednesday.
For years, Baltimore police
have struggled with an officer shortage that has forced the agency to overspend
its overtime budget. Last summer, vacancies numbered about 460 because of
retirements, resignations, suspensions and military or medical leave. The
department has about 3,100 sworn positions.
When Batts became commissioner
in the fall of 2012, he said too many suspended officers were stuck in limbo
waiting for administrative reviews on misconduct allegations, leaving their
patrol assignments vacant for months and overstretching the department.
On Wednesday, Batts said the
department has been able to shrink the logjam of cases awaiting disposition
from 170 in 2012 to 69, allowing several officers who were cleared of
wrongdoing to return to their posts.
Batts made the comments during
a presentation at a Baltimore City Justice Coordinating Council as part of a
general overview of changes he has implemented.
He did not specify how many of
the cases resulted in officers returning to work rather than the number of
officers being fired, and a police spokesman, Lt. Eric Kowalczyk, said those
figures were not available late Wednesday. It was unclear exactly how many
suspended officers have returned to patrol duties.
But Kowalczyk said police are
shrinking their vacancies through quicker administrative hearings and
recruitment. A social media advertising campaign that has included Twitter
question-and-answer sessions has helped police recruit a class of more than 60
police cadets who will begin training at the Baltimore Police Academy on
Friday.
"It's the largest academy
class we've put through in years," Kowalczyk sa
