Baltimore Police Department Under Fire Over Having Highest Percentage in U.S.A. of Rape Cases Officers Deemed Baseless or False

Baltimore Police Department under fire over the way it treats rape cases after investigation shows it recorded highest percentage of rape cases concluded as false or baseless in U.S.A.

There is a serious problem in the Baltimore Police Department and how it treats rape cases. According to the Baltimore Sun, the police department has for the past four years, recorded the highest percentage of rape cases that officers conclude are false or baseless of any city across the United States. Here's an excerpt from the article:

More than 30 percent of the cases investigated by detectives each year are deemed unfounded, five times the national average. Only Louisville and Pittsburgh have reported similar numbers in the recent past, and the number of unfounded rape cases in those cities dropped after police implemented new classification procedures.

The problem in Baltimore may go deeper. In four of 10 emergency calls to police involving allegations of rape, officers conclude that there is no need for a further review, so the case never makes it to detectives — a proportion that experts say is disturbingly high.

The increase in unfounded cases comes as the number of rapes reported by Baltimore police has plunged —from 684 in 1995 to 158 last year, a decline of nearly 80 percent. Nationally, FBI reports indicate that rapes have fallen 8 percent over the same period.

Advocates who work with rape victims and experts who have reviewed police figures in other cities say they are concerned about Baltimore's statistics. They worry that investigative tactics used by police might distort the scope of the problem and discourage victims from coming forward.

They say Baltimore police have expressed a commitment to working with medical providers and victims groups, and they praise the efforts of many detectives. Still, women continue to report that they are interrogated by detectives, sometimes questioned in the emergency room or threatened with being hooked up to lie detectors.

It should be noted that as the police defend its tactics, the mayor has called for a review. No-one in their right minds would not ask for further investigation. Then they wonder why some rape victims are reluctant to come forward.

Read more: City rape statistics, investigations draw concern | Baltimore Sun