Baltimore Police grapple with dangerous staff shortage, experts warn of public danger

about those dire shortages at the department but tonight we're getting a much closer look at the real impact those shortages are having here on the streets take you to the ship anyone willing to work overtime in the southern district on Tuesday there was a plea for officers to work overtime minutes later it went Citywide Citywide overtime available on today's day Charlie shift southern district anyone is arrested Baltimore Southern Police District it's the city's largest District 61,000 residents and on Tuesday afternoon sources tell us at one point there were three police officers on patrol just seconds after the plea for officers hit the airwaves so did please for help if anyone in sector 2 can come clear we have a physical child abuse at moral Park and there's a 10-year-old at the location with bruises all over his body okay we also have a common assault I have a missing person 2640 Hine Street 10 minutes after that child abuse call was transmitted it appears there were still no officers in rout we that physical child abuse yes sir can be advised we are now holding 10 calls no priority ones we still have the physical child abuse and the common assault and it's heartbreaking imagine if you are a a crime victim Betsy Smith with the National Police Association calls the city's police Staffing dangerously low you are endangering the lives of the police officers that are are on duty and what that further does is endanger the lives of the citizens there's 522 vacancies at a city budget hearing last year the top brass admitted it struggled with Recruitment and is hoping to hire civilians to fill in the gaps we're looking at upwards to 120 to 140 positions that we're trying to create in this request to be able to sustain going forward the reason that nine out of every 10 police departments in this country is short staffed is because because we have been dealing with here in the United States uh this three and a half almost fouryear vilification and demonization of the American law enforcement officer until perceptions change Smith predicts recruitment will not improve and the pleas for officers will grow louder is going to pick up the physical child abuse he comes clear of his larot our sources are telling us tonight that the department is actually postponing training for officers just to keep them on the streets we're live Jeff able Fox 45 newers I'm Kai Jackson thank you for watching here's another video to watch also please take a moment to subscribe to our Channel

Channel: WBFF FOX45 Baltimore

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Length: 2min 56sec (176 seconds)

Published: Sun Mar 24 2024