City Council Hearing: FY2027 BPD; June 2, 2026

This City Council hearing held on June 2, 2026, focused on the Baltimore Police Department's (BPD) fiscal year 2027 budget proposal totaling $656 million, including $606 million from the general fund and $51 million from grants and other sources. The BPD leadership presented detailed budget allocations across nine service areas, highlighting no increase in service levels but noting inflationary and contractual cost increases, including a $22.8 million increase due to the Fraternal Order of Police contract. Key procurement-related discussions included a $153 million 10-year sole-source contract with Axon for body-worn cameras, tasers, records management, drones, and emerging AI capabilities, which raised questions about competitive bidding and community oversight. The department also discussed staffing challenges, with 408 sworn vacancies and ongoing recruitment efforts, and the impact of overtime costs driven largely by staffing shortages and special events. Council members requested detailed data on unit restructurings, case clearance and prosecution outcomes, overtime drivers, and legal settlement costs. The department emphasized progress in crime reduction, consent decree compliance, and community engagement strategies, including plans for transparency around AI tool deployment. Several action items were noted, including follow-up on staffing reallocations, performance metrics, and consent decree-related expenditures.