Q&A on the News
Q: Given that Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said that there were ongoing problems within the Baltimore Police Department, what steps/actions had she taken prior to the death of Freddie Gray to address those issues?
—Gary Clark, Cumming
A: Rawlings-Blake, who has been mayor since 2010, and the Baltimore Fraternal Order of Police had "enjoyed a generally positive relationship" before Freddie Gray's death, the Baltimore Sun reported earlier this month.
She attempted to change the Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights (LEOBR) in the last legislative session.
Maryland was the first state (in 1972) to pass a LEOBR, which provides officers with extra protections when they’re investigated, such as an officer being given 10 days before being required to make statements after an incident.
Rawlings-Blake also vetoed a body-camera bill last year, but only for the way it was passed by the city council, she said. She’s in favor of body cameras for police, Rawlings-Blake said.
A body camera program “is the next step forward in making Baltimore a safer city,” she said in February.
Gray died from spinal cord injuries on April 19, a week after being injured while in police custody.
Q: Why don’t they have “Dancing with the Stars” reruns?
—Sandra Waters, Lithonia
A: Game Show Network (GSN) aired reruns of "Dancing with the Stars" in 2012, but has no plans to show them again, a network spokesman told Q&A on the News in an email. GSN acquired seasons 4-13 of "Dancing with the Stars" in 2011 and began airing season 4 in January 2012, but the show was dropped in April of that year, reportedly because of poor ratings.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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