A service of Salisbury University and University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

New Baltimore Mayor, Confident of Deal With Feds on Police Overhaul

Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh
msa.maryland.gov
Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh

BALTIMORE (AP) - Baltimore's new mayor says the city is aiming to reach an agreement with the federal government to overhaul police practices before President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

Mayor Catherine Pugh, who took office two weeks ago, told news reporters Tuesday she thinks they can do it. Last week Attorney General Loretta Lynch put pressure on Baltimore saying "the ball is in the city's court" to conclude negotiations soon.

The city and the federal government had reached an agreement in principle when a Justice Department report that found pervasive civil rights violations was released in August.

Pugh says negotiators had only recently made it through about half of the 21 areas in the report.

The Justice Department is looking to conclude the process by Jan. 20, when the Obama administration ends.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.