Baltimore rep calls for ‘up and down’ examination of police

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A top Democrat is calling for a full accounting of law enforcers in Baltimore and across the country.

{mosads}Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) said the recent death of Freddie Gray, a young man who died last month while in the custody of Baltimore police, should compel policymakers nationwide to address the entrenched poverty at the root of such tragedies.

But, he quickly added, “we also need to look at our police department very carefully.”

“We need to have an up and down look at it, and address it in an effective way,” Cummings, senior Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said on ABC’s “This Week” program.

Baltimore’s lead prosecutor, Marilyn Mosby, called Gray’s death a homicide on Friday, charging six officers with murder and other charges.

Rejecting the charges, the police union representing the officers has called for a special prosecutor.

Cummings, who has not ruled out a Senate bid in Maryland, on Sunday defended Mosby, saying he’s “very comfortable” with her approach.

“She’s a veteran prosecutor. She’s a young lady who has spent a lot of time addressing these kinds of issues, and her integrity is impeccable, without a doubt,” Cummings said. “I think she made the very best decision that she could. She looked at all the evidence and did what she had to do.”

The tragedy has launched a nationwide debate about poverty, race, police tactics and the government’s role in addressing all those issues.

Democrats are calling for a number of criminal justice reforms, while also pushing for new efforts to bolster government programs aimed at alleviating poverty – a push Cummings reiterated Sunday.

“We’ve got to invest in our cities and our children,” he said. “A lot of young people feel that they have been disconnected.”