In 2020, the Baltimore City Police Department established its first Equity Office. BPD is one of few police departments nationwide to establish an equity office. It complies with the Baltimore City Code, Subtitle 39: Equity Assessment Program (2019), that mandates all government agencies to “identify an equity coordinator… responsible for managing that agency’s Equity Assessment Program…” BPD’s Equity Office also serves to help correct a historic culture of prejudice, bias, and discrimination that has negatively impacted both the city’s communities (particularly the African American community), and its internal operations, employee relations, and overall agency climate - as outlined in the 2016 U.S. Department of Justice Report. The Equity Office works with BPD employees and community members to:

• Identify disparities and unfair outcomes in any of BPD’s activities, including police service, law enforcement, hiring, promotions, discipline, budgeting, etc.
• Review, change, or create policies to produce more equitable outcomes
• Develop, review, or improve trainings to ensure employees are best equipped to advance equity
• Review, develop, and recommend changes to BPD practices to improve equity and inclusion
• Develop, strengthen, and maintain authentic community partnerships to that places the public as the primary decision maker in public safety issues.

Read the Equity Office Policy

Mission:

The mission of the Equity Office in the Baltimore City Police Department is to operationalize and institutionalize the Department’s commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility, and anti-racism. The Equity Office ensures diversity, equity, and inclusion becomes a part of the agency culture by delivering training, advising agency leadership, assisting with strategic plans; working closely with the agency’s Equal Employment, Opportunity and Diversity Section (E.O.D.S.) and Human Resources offices; reviewing and writing policy, and working closely with community partners.