Pugh: Baltimore Needs Hundreds More Police Officers

Crime is scattering itself all across Baltimore City and Mayor Catherine Pugh says the city needs more police officers.

"[We have] officers working 14 to 15 hours a day and it's just too much," Pugh told Bryan Nehman on WBAL News Now.

Pugh said she believes the city needs 300 to 400 more police officers.

Listen: Mayor Catherine Pugh Joins WBAL News Now

With the shooting of police detective Sean Suiter still unsolved after a week has passed, Pugh says she will see police Commissioner Kevin Davis later on Wednesday for an update on the situation.

"My prayer is that it doesn't go unsolved," Pugh said. "I believe that they are doing everything they can...this weighs heavy on my heart."

When asked on how she feels the last year as mayor has gone, Pugh said the most difficult part has been dealing with city crime, but cutting down time it takes to get police officers on the street has been an accomplishment.

"When I first came into office I looked at our police department first and said 'unfreeze the frozen positions,'" Pugh said. "Everyone wants to see a police officer, but when you have a police department that doesn't have enough police officers, that's a problem."

Pugh says the background check on police officers used to take nine months and the mandatory training would take another 10 1/2 months before an officer could hit the streets.

"We can't do anything about the 10 1/2 months training, but we can close that gap on the background check," Pugh said. "So we closed it, we got it down to six months and now."

She noted officials are in the process of shortening the background check time to three to four months.

"We've done some things, but we've got a lot more to do," Pugh said.

Pugh also sat down with Justin, Scott and Spiegel on our sister station, 98 Rock.