Tidbits from 9/27

Popular Interests

Family to sue over search - baltimoresun.com

…And who didn’t know this was coming?

“A lawyer for a Baltimore family that says it had a frightening encounter with undercover officers and alleges that their home was illegally searched has given notice of intent to file a sweeping civil lawsuit that condemns the officers and the system that enabled them.

Craig Kemp and his mother and sister will be asking for damages in excess of $1 million, according to a notice of claim. Kemp says officers searched his car and home without a warrant, where he says he kept thousands of dollars in cash that turned up missing.”

Should have sued for more money. Whatever happened to good old fashioned greed?

“The claim notice alleges that the Police Department is “maintaining and tolerating unconstitutional policies and/or customs relating to widespread and systemic patterns and/or practices of police misconduct.”

“Somewhere along the line, something in the system failed,” Bennett said yesterday.

The lawyer said four others have contacted him with stories similar to Kemp’s and that he plans to file claim notices in their cases in the coming days.

Prosecutors have been investigating the actions of about six SET officers led by Sgt. William Harris for several months, defense attorneys say. The officers are no longer being called to testify in court cases, jeopardizing more than 100 of their arrests.

None of the officers has been charged with a crime. The Police Department disbanded Harris’ unit in early August and reassigned him and the officers to administrative duties. The department says it is conducting an internal investigation.”

Shew!

City to consider cameras in police interrogation rooms -baltimoresun.com

“Now, with officers facing accusations of misconduct, Council President Sheila Dixon wants to discuss the department’s policy on internal monitoring.Dixon introduced a resolution last night inviting Commissioner Leonard D. Hamm to explain his department’s policy “on the use of video and audio recording in custodial interrogations.” She wants the hearing to analyze how cameras can prevent wrongful convictions and protect officers from false accusations.”

Sure, okay. You might find out some don’t know how to conduct an interview or interrogation. Cameras are good for keeping people out of frivolous accusations…not a bad idea overall.