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Union: Baltimore Police Department Is Graduating Unqualified New Cops and Giving Them Guns

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The premier Baltimore police union is unimpressed with the quality of the city’s new recruits, and it’s letting the Baltimore Police Department know it.

The Fraternal Order of Police smacked the Baltimore Police Department Monday after police instructor Sgt. Josh Rosenblatt voiced skepticism over the preparedness of a recent batch of recruits.

Lt. Gene Grant, president of the local FOP lodge, said the department should adopt a more stringent process to weed out more applicants who aren’t “suited” for the job, the Baltimore Sun reported.

Rosenblatt said 17 of the 50 recruits who graduated this weekend had repeatedly failed their tests.

They only passed when police brass removed Rosenblatt from the process and substituted an easier test.

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“We’re giving them a badge and a gun tomorrow, the right to take someone’s liberty, ultimately the right to take someone’s life if it calls for it, and they have not demonstrated they can meet (basic) constitutional and legal standards,” Rosenblatt told the Sun Friday.

The news comes after nearly two years of strife for the Baltimore Police Department.

At least nine BPD officers are currently under FBI investigations for racketeering and fabricating evidence charges.

On Feb. 1, the BPD announced it would be fingerprinting all of its officers to prevent overtime pay abuse that had been going on for years, according to the Sun.

Would you trust these new policeman to protect your city?

The BPD is taking the drastic measure after several of the nine indicted officers admitted that faking overtime was a rampant practice in the department.

“Let’s not sugar-coat this: Criminals found a gap in the system and took full advantage of it,” T.J. Smith, a department spokesman, said.

“That’s not fair to the city, and it’s not fair to the men and women in this agency who do their job honorably every day.”

Officers will be required to scan their fingerprints at the start and end of shifts to prove they were actually working.

“We’re not just going to say, ‘Oh well,’ and everybody crosses their fingers and hopes we do better in the future,” Smith said.

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“We’re taking steps to make sure we do better.”

A version of this article appeared on The Daily Caller News Foundation website.

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Erin Coates was an editor for The Western Journal for over two years before becoming a news writer. A University of Oregon graduate, Erin has conducted research in data journalism and contributed to various publications as a writer and editor.
Erin Coates was an editor for The Western Journal for over two years before becoming a news writer. She grew up in San Diego, California, proceeding to attend the University of Oregon and graduate with honors holding a degree in journalism. During her time in Oregon, Erin was an associate editor for Ethos Magazine and a freelance writer for Eugene Magazine. She has conducted research in data journalism, which has been published in the book “Data Journalism: Past, Present and Future.” Erin is an avid runner with a heart for encouraging young girls and has served as a coach for the organization Girls on the Run. As a writer and editor, Erin strives to promote social dialogue and tell the story of those around her.
Birthplace
Tucson, Arizona
Nationality
American
Honors/Awards
Graduated with Honors
Education
Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, University of Oregon
Books Written
Contributor for Data Journalism: Past, Present and Future
Location
Prescott, Arizona
Languages Spoken
English, French
Topics of Expertise
Politics, Health, Entertainment, Faith




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