As the jury is still deadlocked in the trial of William Porter, who is one of six Baltimore police officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray, journalists and activists are shedding more light on the police union paying for his attorney and court fees. The Baltimore Fraternal Order of Police is covering court costs for each of the six officers charged. However, this role is atypical for the union, since it is usually so good at ensuring that officers never see charges at all. ThinkProgress reports:
A study by a criminologist who often examines policies for the DOJ found earlier this year that the contract between Baltimore and the Fraternal Order of Police contains several “offensive provisions” that prevent accountability and that violate “best practices” across the country. Provisions including the expungement of internal records and the existence of a “do not call” list of officers who cannot testify “impede the effective investigation of reported misconduct and shield officers who are in fact guilty of misconduct from meaningful discipline,” the study found.
The problems extend far beyond Baltimore. As Campaign Zero found in its new Police Union Contract Project, provisions are written in to union contracts in major cities across the country to protect officers accused of excessive force or abuse. The activist-led group analyzed more than 50 contracts and found that the vast majority have provisions that block accountability and protect officers from being investigated, indicted, and ultimately convicted.
These provisions ensure that many officers never face discipline, or charges for misconduct. Even though the jury is deadlocked, the extreme nature of Freddie Gray’s death illustrates just how far things have to go for police officers to even see a courtroom.