Such was the reason given by Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake for deciding not to seek re-election for the upcoming term.
Advertisement
When Rawlings was first elected, some questioned her ability to lead the city.
Young said Davis is the reasonable choice, given that Rawlings-Blake’s decision makes it unlikely that the city could attract another candidate until a new mayor is selected.
“The mayor has been pleased with energy that the interim commission has brought to the job”, Harris said.
In July, she fired Police Commissioner Anthony Batts and appointed one of his deputies in the interim. “He’s been able to gain the trust of the rank-and-file police officers. We’re seeing more arrests, more guns off the street, and we’re seeing him being able to work seamlessly through the crime fight”.
“The decision to settle the civil claims is completely unrelated to the criminal case the six officers now face”, Rawlings-Blake announced during a press conference on Wednesday, shortly after the Board of Estimates unanimously approved the payout.
Harris said Rawlings-Blake will be working with council over the coming days to prepare the appointment for council’s next meeting, which is scheduled for September 21.
If she ever wishes to ascend to a higher office, Rawlings-Blake will have to make every decision regarding this potentially explosive trial unencumbered by distractions like fundraising and the type of increased public examination that a political campaign would invite.
Rawlings-Blake brought up on her own the heavy criticism she endured about her handling of the April riots.
The 46-year-old interim commissioner is making $172,850, the Sun reports, while Batts earned $201,700 a year.
“We will meet the challenges of our times with determination, transparency and clarity of leadership”, he said.
The city of Chicago settled in 2001 a wrongful death lawsuit by the family of LaTanya Haggerty, a black woman who was shot to death by a police officer who thought her cellphone was a weapon, for $18 million. In a statement, Edward Nero said: “Today’s settlement is very unfair to my son and the other officers and their right to a fair trial”.
Advertisement
“If the best you can do for the city is criticize me, I can tell you, as mayor, you don’t have what it takes to move our city forward”.
