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DURING THE CIVIL UNREST. AS POLICE COMMISSIONER MICHAEL HARRISON SPOKE TUESDAY OF A GUNMAN OPENING FIRE ON A POLICE OFFICER HE DEFENDED THE DECISION TO CALL OFF THE CHASE FOR THE SUSPECT. >> I GOT TO BE HIGH-SPEED, IT WAS THROUGH NEIGHBORHOODS AND AS WE ENCOUNTER A DANGER FACTOR WITH FOLLOWING THE CAR IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THE PERSON WAS -- IT WAS CALLED OFF BECAUSE OF THE DANGER FACTOR TO THE CITIZENS AND OFFICERS. JAYNE: THE UNION POSTED THIS ON ITS TWITTER PAGE. >> IT IS A GREAT DISTRACTION. JAYNE: THE MAYOR CALLED ON THE UNION TO STOP THE SITE BEING. >> WE NEED TO SIT DOWN AND FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER INSTEAD OF EVERYBODY PUTTING OUT ALL THESE LITTLE QUOTES. JAYNE: AND JULY AFTER THE COMMISSIONER UNVEILED HIS CRIME PLANNED THE UNION DISMISSED IT AS UNREALISTIC CITING A SHORTAGE OF OFFICERS ON PATROL. A FAVORITE TARGET OF UNION’S CRITICISM THE FEDERAL CONSENT DECREE FOR REFORM. IN A STATEMENT THE FOP PRESIDENT SAID THE CONSENT DECREE HAS BECOME THE SINGULAR FOCUS OF OUR LEADERSHIP AND ALL THE WHILE THE BODY COUNT GROWS UNINHIBITED. THE MAYOR SAID HE SEES THE CONSENT DECREE IS VITAL TO RESTORING PUBLIC TRUST. >> I AM TRYING TO GET THEM TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY TO BUILD THEIR TRUST BACKUP. ONCE YOU’D TOLD THE TRUST BACKUP WE WILL GET INFORMATION ON WHO IS COMMITTING ALL THESE CRIMES. JAYN THE MAYOR SAID THE UNION HAD REQUESTED A MEETING. THE UNION SAID THE MEETING WAS CANCELED BY THE MAYOR BECAUSE A UNION SAID THE MAYOR DID NOT AGREE WITH THE TOPIC

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Baltimore Mayor Jack Young responded Wednesday to a series of verbal attacks by the city's police union, calling it an attack that's distracting to the crime fight.In recent weeks, the Baltimore City Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 3 has criticized the commissioner's crime plan, the federal consent decree and a decision by police commanders to call off a police chase.Young said Wednesday morning that the union had requested a meeting with him. By the afternoon, the union said the mayor canceled the meeting because he disagreed with the main topic."We don't need tweeting and distractions. We need all hands on deck," Young said.The union tweeted Wednesday afternoon: "With regard to the comments made by Mayor Young at his presser this morning, we are quite confused. This past Monday, we were scheduled to meet with him to discuss some issues of importance to our membership. Unfortunately, however, the meeting was canceled by the mayor, citing his disagreement with the main topic and stating that there was no longer a reason to proceed with the meeting."Honesty, or lack thereof, is the single largest barrier we have in establishing a productive relationship with the city and the BPD. FOP No. 3 will continue to be open and honest with all in regard to what is occurring in Baltimore as it is imperative to finding a solution. At this point, there are no scheduled meetings between FOP No. 3 and the mayor."Young is asking for the police union to stop the verbal sniping. In a series of Twitter posts, the FOP heavily criticized Baltimore Police Department's leadership.Tuesday night, after Commissioner Michael Harrison explained why a chase pursuing a suspect who shot at a police officer was called off, the union posted: "The brave men and women of the Baltimore Police Department were told to stand down during the riots. Now we are being told to stand down on an attempted murder of a police officer. #CityInCrisis"Harrison had said the chase was too dangerous to continue."It just got to be high speed. It was through neighborhoods, and as we encounter a danger factor with following a car, it is my understanding the pursuit was called off because of the danger factor to the citizens and the officers," Harrison said Tuesday.The mayor called the union's attack distracting to the crime fight."We need all our partners -- the FOP, you know -- to sit down and figure (this) out. We can work together instead of just everybody putting out all these little quotes. I mean, if we are serious about driving down crime, we need all the partners at the table," Young said.In July, after the commissioner unveiled his crime plan, the union dismissed it as unrealistic, citing a shortage of officers on patrol.The federal consent decree for reform is a favorite target of the union. In a statement last week: the FOP president said: "The consent decree and its implementation has become the singular focus of our leadership and, all the while, the body count grows uninhibited."The mayor said the consent decree is vital to restoring public trust."The job is to protect and serve, and we have a lot of officers out there doing just that out of their cars and engaging with the community like we asked. Some are not. And until we can get all of them to do that, I don't think we will be able to make a dent in the police-community relations piece. See, I am trying to get them to build the trust back up. Once you build the trust back up, you will start getting information about who is committing all these crimes," Young said.Harrison is accustomed to pushback from police rank and file leaders. He faced similar resistance while he was police chief in New Orleans, which also implemented a consent decree.