The General Assembly will convene a work group over the interim to study police and public safety issues. As reported in The Baltimore Sun:

The bi-partisan, 20-member panel is charged with recommending laws the legislature should consider when it reconvenes, including changing the controversial Law Enforcement Officer’s Bill of Rights and creating a civilian review panel that could weigh in on hiring practices or police brutality cases.

Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller and House Speaker Michael E. Busch said in a joint press release that it is imperative to strengthen the trust between police and the community, and that complex problem requires thoughtful work.

“We incarcerate far too many people and that our rates of recidivism are completely unacceptable,” Miller said in a statement. “These issues cannot be solved overnight, but we hope to bring the stakeholders together over the interim and look at all of these issues, including the role of law enforcement in our communities.”

Added Busch: “It is critical that we have strong relationships among our citizens, communities and law enforcement.”

The work group is scheduled to begin in June and plans to include public meetings around the state to engage local communities and stakeholders.

For more information read the full article in The Baltimore Sun.