Letter to Eric Holder, Attorney General of the United States - Support of an Investigation of BPD

Letter

The Honorable Eric Holder
Attorney General of the United States
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001

Dear Attorney General Holder:

We write in support of the request from officials from Baltimore City, Maryland, for a civil rights investigation into allegations of brutality and misconduct by the Baltimore City Police Department. On October 3, 2014, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Police Commissioner Anthony W. Batts, and City Council President Bernard C. "Jack" Young requested an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice. While the vast majority of police officers act within the law, incidents of police brutality and misconduct degrade the trust that is necessary for an effective relationship between law enforcement and the very communities they are meant to protect. We urge your Department to conduct this investigation expeditiously and take the steps necessary to help restore public confidence in the Baltimore City Police Department.

Thank you for your assistance with this request.