Cummings Statement on BPD Aerial Surveillance Program

Washington, D.C. (August 25, 2016)— Today, Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD) issued the following statement on Baltimore City Police Department’s aerial surveillance program:

“Today I spoke with Commissioner Kevin Davis and he will be providing me with a thorough review of the program.

“That this program has been operating for months in secret is concerning.  The DOJ report emphasized trust, and you cannot have trust without transparency.  We must vet this program—with the help of organizations like the ACLU and NAACP Legal Defense Fund—to determine if there is a violation of people’s constitutional rights.

“I am going to continue gathering information to examine if we can balance the investigative, public safety and law enforcement benefits of this program with the constitutional rights of the people of Baltimore.”