The release of a sharply critical report from the U.S. Department of Justice has shed light on the Baltimore Police Department's systematic mishandling of sexual assault cases. In particular, evidence of gender bias on the part of prosecutors and officers alike indicates that sexual assault survivors in Baltimore still do not have fair access to justice. The evidence indicates that there has been little improvement since the department came under fire in 2010 for failing to adequately investigate sexual assault cases. Instead, all signs indicate that the department has simply been playing a numbers game. By mislabeling cases as "open," the department has reduced its rate of "unfounding" cases. This gives the appearance of progress, but fails to address the underlying gender bias. In addition, by labeling cases as "open," the department has evaded the case audits that are critical for holding police accountable. As a result, victim-blaming, gender bias, and flagrant disregard for victims of violent crime have been allowed to run rampant.
The damning report has sparked a firestorm of ongoing conversation and coverage about policing in Baltimore. MCASA's Executive Director, Lisae Jordan, Esq., recently spoke to MSNBC about these issues. You can view the full news segment here.