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A scathing report from the monitors tasked with reporting on the Baltimore Police Department’s compliance with a federal consent decree found the dysfunctional agency violated the law after the shooting of homicide detective Sean Suiter

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TAYA GRAHAM: This is Taya Graham, reporting for The Real News Network in Baltimore City, Maryland.

There was hope that with federal oversight the Baltimore City Police Department could be reformed, but a new report raises doubts.

SPEAKER: When this was locked down they should, this board should have went to the media and said, you’re in violation.

TAYA GRAHAM: It was a scene of tension and anger with Baltimore police.

SPEAKER: Everything in the city is related to race. In the disparities that exist, not just with the police department.

TAYA GRAHAM: Residents of the West Baltimore community Harlem Park, voicing their outrage last year about an extended lockdown of their neighborhood.

SPEAKER: The police cannot police the police. What we are dealing with in Baltimore City is a criminal organization.

TAYA GRAHAM: For roughly a week after Detective Sean Suiter was found shot in a nearby alley, police cordoned off six blocks, forcing residents to carry papers; subjecting them to patdowns and searches. And now a report from the federal monitor tasked with overseeing the consent decree between the Justice Department and Baltimore City has determined that these tactics were illegal.

SPEAKER: The perimeter was held for an extra three days. And during those three days, people’s freedom to travel was restricted.

TAYA GRAHAM: A profound finding for a department that was already under the decree at the time of their lockdown, and a revelation that did not surprise State Senator Jill Carter, who called the Harlem Park meeting.

STEPHEN JANIS: The report said that the police implemented unconstitutional practices in Harlem Park. Does that surprise you?

JILL CARTER: Of course not. It was a no-brainer that cordoning off that community, especially when we are already under a consent decree, was, really it was astounding that they even did it. But I think that what is a little troubling, more than a little troubling, is the focus seems to be on the length of time of detentions, as opposed to the idea that the entire community should not have been in lockdown. And especially in a city where we have about, I believe the number is around 170 homicides this year alone, and those extraordinary measures are never used for the non-officer, the non-law enforcement officer. And so you’re sending a strong message to the community that officers’ lives are far more valuable than the average citizen.

TAYA GRAHAM: The report says police searched residents without probable cause, ran warrant checks without reasonable suspicion, and even turned off body-worn cameras during the lockdown. But this was not all the report revealed, because buried in the details of the document were stunning revelations about the state of the police department and the limits of the monitor to hold it accountable.

Among those revelations this is a standout: the monitor stating that they could not assess stops, searches, and arrests. But why? According to the report, thousands and thousands of poorly-organized paper records which would be impractical to assess. The bottom line: The primary area where the Justice Department found the Baltimore City police engaged in racial and unconstitutional tactics is beyond the purview of the monitor tasked with fixing it. It’s another aspect of policing that David Rocha of the ACLU says raises more questions than answers.

DAVID ROCHA: Look, a murder, any murder, is an extraordinary event. But the Constitution doesn’t evaporate when police are investigating a murder, and when they’re investigating the murder of a police officer, perhaps that’s the most important time when the Constitutional limits ought to be adhered to because that’s when there is likely the greatest incentive on the part of the police to violate them.

TAYA GRAHAM: And it is troubling for a department that for now remains seemingly inscrutable.

TAYA GRAHAM: This is Taya Graham and Stephen Janis reporting for The Real News Network in Baltimore City, Maryland.

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Senior Investigative Reporter & Capitol Hill Correspondent

Taya Graham is an award-winning investigative journalist, documentary filmmaker, and Capitol Hill Correspondent whose work bridges rigorous reporting with deep community impact. As the host of The Police Accountability Report at The Real News Network, she has become a trusted voice for transparency in policing and governance, using a mix of field reporting, data analysis, and citizen storytelling to expose systemic injustices. The show has garnered more than 50 million views across platforms, drawing a national audience to issues of accountability and reform.

Her work spans platforms and audiences, from producing Truth and Reconciliation, the acclaimed WYPR podcast exploring race and justice, to co-directing the award-winning documentaries The Friendliest Town and Tax Broke. Her five-year investigation into Baltimore’s tax incentive system (TIFs and PILOTs) revealed how corporate subsidies perpetuate inequality, sparking legislative action and community advocacy.

In addition to her reporting, Taya played a key role in shaping The Real News Network’s internal policies and labor framework, including helping draft the language around the organization’s AI policy in its collective bargaining agreement. Her work ensured that innovation and worker protections coexist, setting a model for how newsrooms can adopt technology responsibly.

Taya’s career began at The Afro-American Newspaper and Historic Black University Morgan State Radio, where she honed her craft in public service storytelling. She continues to lead with the belief that journalism should not only inform but empower—meeting new audiences where they are and inspiring them to engage in the democratic process.

Senior Investigative Reporter & Capitol Hill Correspondent
Stephen Janis is an award-winning investigative journalist, author, and documentary filmmaker whose work has shaped accountability journalism in Baltimore and beyond. As a Capitol Hill Correspondent and senior reporter at The Real News Network, he continues to uncover the systems behind inequality, corruption, and power while turning complex investigations into stories that inspire reform and public engagement.

His first feature documentary, The Friendliest Town, was distributed by Gravitas Ventures and received an Award of Distinction from The Impact Doc Film Festival and a Humanitarian Award from The Indie Film Fest. He co-created and co-hosts The Police Accountability Report, which has reached more than fifty million viewers on YouTube and helped spark national conversations on policing and transparency. His work has also appeared on Unsolved Mysteries (Netflix), Dead of Night (Investigation Discovery), Relentless (NBC), and Sins of the City (TV One).

Stephen has co-authored several books on policing, corruption, and the roots of violence, including Why Do We Kill: The Pathology of Murder in Baltimore and You Can’t Stop Murder: Truths About Policing in Baltimore and Beyond. He also co-hosts the true crime podcast Land of the Unsolved, which investigates cold cases through a lens of justice and accountability.

Before joining The Real News Network, Stephen worked as an investigative producer for WBFF Fox 45, where his reporting earned three Capital Emmys. Known for embracing technology as a tool for social awareness, he uses data analysis, digital production, and emerging storytelling platforms to connect investigative journalism with younger audiences while maintaining its integrity and depth.

Stephen’s work is grounded in clarity, empathy, and a belief that journalism should not only expose the truth but empower people to act on it.