BALTIMORE _ As the public and elected officials call for increased oversight in police misconduct cases, a proposed contract between the city and the Baltimore police union would require two civilian volunteers on oversight review boards with three officers.
The change is included in a 3-year tentative agreement between the city and the union, according to a notice issued to union members Saturday.
The notice says the union's bargaining team unanimously supports the proposed deal. Union members are scheduled to vote on the proposal Nov. 13.
Newly elected union President Sgt. Michael Mancuso declined to comment on the proposal, and a spokesman for Mayor Catherine Pugh did not respond to a request for comment.
If the contract is approved, the change would be considered a success for Pugh and advocates who have sought for more civilian oversight of police.
Trial boards review the cases that are investigated by the department's internal affairs unit. Such investigations are separate from any criminal investigation. The board can make recommendations on discipline, including whether an officer should be fired, but the police commissioner has final say.
Some have criticized that the current review process _ conducted solely by peers _ allows officers to protect each other.
Many officials and activists have lobbied to have civilians serve on the trial boards, and Pugh has agreed, previously calling the issue "non-negotiable" in contract negotiations.
Calls for more civilian oversight were heightened after the trials of officers charged and acquitted in the arrest and death of Freddie Gray in 2015, and the federal corruption investigation of the department's Gun Trace Task Force.
The Maryland General Assembly previously passed measures allowing local jurisdictions to put civilians on trial boards, but until now the union has opposed such measures in Baltimore.
It's unclear whether the union will approve of such a change. Some officers have said residents are not qualified to understand the complex decisions police are required to make.
At the same time as adding civilians to the process, the proposal calls for reducing the role of senior commanders. For officers and sergeants, the proposal calls for a board consisting of someone of the same rank, as well as a lieutenant and a commander ranked captain or above. The current makeup is an equally ranked person and two commanders.
Other changes in the proposed contract include 3 percent annual raises for officers and a return to a shift schedule of five 8 {-day workweeks.
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(Ian Duncan contributed to this report.)
