We at the NAACP applaud U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch for taking this important and necessary step of launching a pattern and practice investigation into the Baltimore Police Department. Immediately following the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray, the NAACP called on the Justice Department to conduct a pattern and practice investigation to ensure that the constitutional rights of Baltimore citizens were not being violated.
As we continue to mourn Mr. Gray’s death, we must also begin to repair decades of mistrust between community members and law enforcement in the city. Our hope is that this comprehensive investigation will lead to sweepingly comprehensive reform. State and local NAACP leaders have been working closely with federal authorities and are heartened by this decision. This is good for not only Baltimore, but the entire nation.
Cornell William Brooks, president and CEO
NAACP