When he was running for office last year, attorney Ivan Bates pledged that if elected, he would rescind the policy of then States Attorney Marilyn Mosby regarding the prosecution of low level crimes. Mosby announced her office would not prosecute a specific list of so called “quality of life” crimes during the COVID outbreak, but continued that policy when many COVID restrictions were lifted.
Now, Ivan Bates is the State's Attorney for Baltimore City, and he has reinstated the pre-COVID policy, with some significant changes.
As of 10 days ago, Baltimore police began issuing citations for so called “quality of life crimes,” a departure from the previous policy of the State’s Attorney and police. Citations for crimes like riding a dirt bike, public drunkenness, loitering, aggressive panhandling, trespassing and malicious destruction of property will now be handled on a special docket that is intended to offer those who are cited an alternative to prosecution and jail time.
