Police Commissioner Anthony Batts Fired, Replaced by Deputy Kevin Davis

Today, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake fired Baltimore Police Department Commissioner Anthony Batts and named Deputy Kevin Davis as the interim police commissioner.

Earlier in the day, Councilman Edward Reisinger and Councilman Carl Stokes called for the replacement of Batts and the Baltimore City Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Lodge 3 released an “After Action Review” report about the leadership of Baltimore Police and Mayor Rawlings-Blake during the April unrest.

“This is not an easy decision, but it is one that is in the best interest of the people of Baltimore,” said Mayor Rawlings-Blake. “Too many continue to die on our streets.”

The FOP released the following statement on the change:

“Our After Action Review, released this morning, detailed officers’ concerns that the Baltimore Police Department’s response to the riots was lacking in many areas. We look forward to working with Interim Commissioner Kevin Davis to unite the Baltimore Police Department and move both our Department and City forward.”

-Gene Ryan, President
Baltimore FOP Lodge #3

Davis is the former Anne Arundel County Police Commissioner and Assistant Police Commissioner of Prince George’s County. Batts was hired by Rawlings-Blake in 2012 and was the former Chief of Police in Long Beach, CA and Oakland, CA.

Baltimore Police Department Press Release:

Today, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake named Kevin Davis as the Interim Police Commissioner.  As the former Chief of the Anne Arundel County Police Department, he was appointed to the position of Deputy Police Commissioner seven-months ago, overseeing the Investigations and Intelligence Bureau. Interim Commissioner Davis is a native of Maryland, born and raised in College Park.  He comes from a family with a history of policing in Maryland and he continued that legacy when he began his career with the Prince George’s County Police Department.  As a Deputy Chief in Prince George’s County, Interim Commissioner Davis oversaw the Bureau of Investigations.  His leadership resulted in an increase in clearance rates ensuring violent criminals were taken off the streets. Interim Commissioner Davis rose through the ranks to become the Assistant Chief of the Prince George’s County Police Department. This role led to extensive experience working with consent decrees; creating a solid foundation of Constitutional Policing.  Additionally, the Interim Commissioner has a long history of working with residents, truly embodying the concepts of community policing.  His experience in Prince George’s County made him uniquely qualified for the position overseeing the Baltimore Police Department’s Investigations and Intelligence Bureau.

As the Chief of the Anne Arundel County Police Department, he made tremendous inroads in connecting with the community and building strong relationships with residents. He has continued that role in Baltimore, meeting with community groups and working to build strong relationships with the citizens of this city.

Interim Commissioner Davis is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the FBI National Executive Institute.  He earned his Master’s Degree from Johns Hopkins University. He is married to his wife, Lisa, and has four children.

About the Author: Kevin Lynch

Founder and Publisher of SouthBmore.com, longtime resident of South Baltimore, and a graduate of Towson University. Diehard Ravens and O's fan, father of three, amateur pizza chef, skateboarder, and "bar food" foodie. Email me at Kevin@InceptMM.com and follow me on Twitter at @SoBoKevin.