A first step: Federal judge agrees Baltimore Police comply with two consent decree sections

Baltimore’s policing consent decree was spurred in part by the death of Freddie Gray in 2015 following injuries he sustained while being transported in police custody. On Thursday, the department’s work fixing those issues became its first step toward exiting federal oversight. Federal Judge James K. Bredar, the chief judge for the U.S. District of Maryland, who is overseeing the city’s reforms, agreed with the city and federal government that the department had reached “full and effective” compliance with two sections of its lengthy consent decree: transportation of persons in custody and officer assistance and safety.