
Our political advocacy is based on the cultivation of deep relationships to many segments of the Black community and to use the support that this provides us as our primary leverage to advocate policy positions that are in the interest of Black people. Our ability to impact policy is based on the years of community organizing and community service that has translated to a base of support that authentically represents the depth and diversity of the Black community in Baltimore.
We also tap into the rich cultural and intellectual resources that reside in our community to form the basis of our intellectual and political analysis. Our fidelity to the Black Radical Tradition and a worldview rooted in Pan Africanism guides the intellectual production that guides our approach to our political advocacy.
The Maryland General Assembly has moved in right direction over the last couple of years regarding police reform, but has continued to fall short on the issue of community oversight of law enforcement. The legislature should allow for Police Accountability Boards to have independent investigatory power in order to ensure that the community has its own independent means of investigating police misconduct.
The Community Repair and Reinvestment Fund was established by the legislature and 2022 will receive 30% of the tax revenues of recreational cannabis. Each of the 24 jurisdictions in Maryland will receive a percentage of the funds (proportional to the that jurisdiction’s contribution to the state wide cannabis related arrest over the last 20 years). Each jurisdictions has to pass a law that will determine how they will allocate their portion of those funds. LBS is working to establish a reparations commission that will have experts on reparations and the war on drugs to determine how those resources are allocated. In addition we will push for the city council to have oversight over the commission to ensure accountability and transparency. This is legislation that will work its way thought the city council.
Use the LBS Bill Tracker! The page will be updated daily with information on how YOU can take action and support legislation that benefits OUR community !
Fought against a bipartisan crime package that included mandatory minimum sentences – which are ineffective at addressing public safety and fueled the prison industrial complex.
Worked on amendments to LEOBR that were in the bill we advocated for in 2015 – which includes requiring that civilians serve on administrative hearing boards and the non-law enforcement entities are allowed to participate in the internal investigations of police misconduct. The legislation that passed was a change that allowed civilians to serve on trial boards (though it is not required). What did not pass was allowing non-law enforcement to participate in the internal investigation of police misconduct.
Worked on amendments to the Law Enforcement Officer Bill of Rights (LEOBR). The primary focus of our advocacy that year was to require that civilians serve on the trial boards and to allow non-law enforcement entities to be involved in the internal investigations of police misconduct. This bill did not make it out of committee that year.
Passed Christopher’s Law, named after Christopher Brown who was killed by an off duty police officer in Baltimore County in 2012. This law required additional racial sensitivity and deescalation training. Additionally, it required that police officers learn CPR, due to the fact that the officer that killed Christopher Brown could have saved him if he knew how to do CPR.
Pressured the MD legislature and governor to abandon the plan to build a new youth detention center in east Baltimore.
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