The Baltimore Police Department finally reached 50,000 followers on Twitter. In order to celebrate their incredible milestone, the department decided to make a celebratory video. One problem; the department is feared by many of the people it serves throughout the city. This is why the video was not well received by residents of Baltimore.
The image problem for the department was not forgotten, which is why a local newspaper made a video in response to theirs. We have embedded both videos in this post, so be sure to watch each one and let us know your thoughts in the comments section at the bottom of the page.
At a recent public meeting, Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony Batts spoke to the community about the image of the department and discussed police brutality. Batts provided the following answer, which was related to him growing up in South Central Los Angeles.
“I can relate, because that’s where I come from,” Batts said, according to The Baltimore Sun. “But not all of my officers come from our communities, so we’re trying to give them the tools … so they can be more empathetic.”
He has been making the rounds, holding public meetings at each police district after the year began with 27 murders in 31 days, according to The Baltimore Sun.
The first video is the one produced by the Baltimore Police Department.