Mayor Rawlings-Blake statement on FOP 8/16/15

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake issued the following statement on this matter tonight:

“The allegations made in this letter are without basis and do nothing to help our city heal. We are currently in the midst of an extensive review that began before the FOP decided to conduct their own After Action Review. As we work through the process, I look forward to sharing information with all interested parties including the FOP.

My administration has always been at the forefront in making sure we take steps to improve police-community relations, even before the Freddie Gray unrest when the FOP fought us at every turn because we dared to introduce commonsense reforms that would have leveled the playing field and ensured that police officers acting unlawfully are held to the same standards as everyone else.

I look forward to the completion of our thorough and thoughtful review that will better prepare Baltimore City should another event occur.

Let me be clear: The public will know the full truth of what happened during the moments before and after the unrest.

It will be made clear that I never ordered the brave men and women of the Baltimore Police Department to stand down.

I continue to be grateful and humbled by the sacrifices our officers make each and every day.

While the unrest was traumatic for our city, I know the damage would have been far greater without the courage and skill of our police officers.”