Linked are Special Investigations Response Team (SIRT) investigations obtained from the Baltimore Police Department through the Public Information Act. The Special Investigations Response Team is a unit within BPD that investigates the most extreme levels of force and serious misconduct within BPD. These investigative files are representative of how BPD actually holds themselves accountable (i.e. their policies put into practice).
SIRT Files
“Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants”
- Louis D. Brandeis
An agency is not to charge for reproduction of records when the disclosure of those records is in the public interest. BPD and the Baltimore City Law Department have staunchly argued that the production and public release of these records is not in the public interest, forcing us to prepay $22k for the records' release. After payment, the law states disclosure must be made within 30-days. BPD and the Baltimore City Law Department waited fifteen-months.
Once all of the records were produced, we found out that the Law Department charged us 50% more than it actually cost to produce the records.