By Gabriela Sevilla and Christopher Dews
Maryland’s legislature will convene again in January; though anything but a typical year, bills will be introduced to reform the criminal justice system.
Many bills, as currently drafted, focus on the important issue of police reform – which has received much deserved attention in recent months. But a critical issue of police reform is rarely addressed – reducing the number police encounters with the public in the first place.
Every year, millions of taxpayer dollars are wasted on enforcing laws that do not improve public safety. It’s time we expand the concept and scope of police reform; if no initial contact is made, there can be no abuse.