Council delegation to travel to New Orleans to conduct background

BALTIMORE, MD - Baltimore City Council President Bernard C. "Jack" Young announced today plans for a two-person delegation of City Council members to travel to New Orleans to conduct background interviews related to Mr. Michael Harrison, who will be nominated by Mayor Catherine Pugh to serve as Commissioner of Police for Baltimore City.

The delegation, which will include Chairman Robert Stokes (Executive Appointments Committee), and Vice Chairman Kristerfer Burnett (Executive Appointments Committee), plus two staffers, will be in New Orleans January 31 and February 1 to interview a cross-section of people who have interacted with Mr. Harrison. Once the delegation returns to Baltimore, President Young's office will compile the notes and information gathered on the ground in New Orleans into a report that will be published and made available to members of the City Council and to the general public.

The delegation plans to interview members of the clergy, citizen advocates, business leaders, local law enforcement officials, elected representatives and prominent civil rights attorneys, among others.

The Council's investigatory visit to New Orleans comes about one month after a similar visit to Fort Worth, TX. 

Council President Young has stressed a need to balance the legislative branch's investigatory duties with an eye toward reducing the costs to taxpayers. 

"We are always looking for cost-effective ways to accomplish our charter-mandated duty to offer informed advice and consent," Council President Young said. "By reducing the size of the traveling delegation, we're able to save the taxpayer money without jeopardizing the integrity of the Council's investigation."

*The reductions put in place by Council President Young have resulted in a savings of 61.5 percent from the previous trip to Fort Worth.