Governor says firing of Baltimore police commissioner was a surprise to him

After the violence, arrests in the city plummeted and homicides spiked. Batts and the police union denied that officers were shirking their duties but acknowledged that police are mad, frustrated and fearful in the wake of the Gray case of being second-guessed and prosecuted.

“With all this “experience” and beforehand knowledge at Commissioner Batts’ disposal, he still led us officers to slaughter”, one officer said during a section of the report that offered firsthand accounts from police on the ground. “We have made progress; I don’t want to lose that progress”, said the mayor.

STEPHEN JANIS, TRNN: As crime continues to climb in Baltimore and the controversy over the handling of the unrest following the death of Freddie Gray in police custody consumes the city, a major change in leadership atop the city’s police department is announced Wednesday.

There have been more than 150 homicides so far in 2015, compared with fewer than 100 at the end of June 2014, as indicated by Baltimore Police data.

Hours before the mayor’s announced, morning the Fraternal Order of Police on Wednesday issued a highly critical report of police leadership during the recent rioting.

“The harm from the Freddie Gray death is it had a chilling effect: Cops were saying, ‘That could have been me, ‘” he said. It’s a culmination of missteps and outright malfeasance that ex- cops say has created a department on the brink of dissembling.

“Batts was a leader without a following”, Moskos said.

Deputy Police Commission Kevin Davis has assumed the role of interim commissioner. Sort of a hostile mindset in terms of the negligence that’s created because of what’s allowed to happen in the urban environment.JANIS: His concern, a lack of stability in leadership positions makes it impossible to transform it. Still, despite the change at the top, Franklin says the Department and the city that it serves has a long way to go before real reform sets in.FRANKLIN: Don’t-don’t wave the flag of victory just yet. “We can take a person’s freedom away, and that’s a huge and awesome responsibility”. With that responsibility and authority comes a huge amount of oversight and second-guessing at times. “And at the same time we need to serve the community”. “The other side is identifying areas that need improvements. Those aren’t mutually exclusive”. After Gray’s death, the USA Justice Department opened an investigation into whether Baltimore police engage in discriminatory practices, including unlawful stops and excessive force. “The people of Baltimore deserve better and we’re going to get better”.

Tolliver was appointed by Leopold after ex- police Chief James Teare Sr. retired in July of 2012, according to the Capital-Gazette.

Ex- Chief Larry Tolliver used a gay slur and was accused of retaliating against officers who testified against Leopold during that executive’s misconduct trial, the newspaper reports.