Baltimore police using less force amid ongoing reform effort

By LEA SKENE
Associated Press

BALTIMORE (AP) — According to testimony in federal court, since the Baltimore Police Department started overhauling its practices under a consent decree, officers have become significantly less likely to use force against members of the public, but the agency still needs to improve its ability to hold wayward officers accountable and address a dire staffing shortage. The quarterly review hearing Thursday focused on recent developments in a yearslong effort to enact sweeping police reform in Baltimore after federal investigators found a pattern of unconstitutional and discriminatory policing practices, especially against Black residents.