Read a PDF of our statement here.
NAACP Legal Defense Fund Statement on Court Approval of Independent Monitor Team for Baltimore Consent Decree
This morning, the federal judge overseeing the policing reform agreement between the city of Baltimore, the Baltimore Police Department, and the U.S. Justice Department approved the proposed independent monitor team tasked with ensuring the city’s compliance with the consent decree. Monique Dixon, Deputy Director of Policy and Senior Counsel at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) issued the following statement in response:
“We remain concerned about the strong law enforcement presence on the monitoring team – particularly as compared to other teams assembled in Seattle and Cleveland – but it’s long past time for city officials to begin implementing the policing reforms outlined in the agreement. LDF will continue to be a resource for Baltimore residents, and will help make sure that the people who will be directly impacted by the 227-page consent decree understand exactly what that document requires. Baltimoreans must continue to be empowered to engage the parties, the independent monitor, and the court effectively throughout this process so that their views, concerns, and suggestions remain central as the city works to implement the terms of the agreement.”
Press:
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Founded in 1940, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is the nation’s first civil and human rights law organization and has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957—although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights. LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please refer to us as the NAACP Legal Defense Fund or LDF.
