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Mayor Pugh calls for audit of Baltimore police overtime costs

Posted at 6:16 PM, Mar 03, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-03 18:39:08-05

Mayor Catherine Pugh called for an audit of Baltimore Police overtime costs Friday after the feds say seven officers swindled almost $400,000 in overtime in the fiscal 2016 year alone. 

Five of the officers have pleaded not guilty, six of them will remain detained until trial. 

RELATED: 7 Baltimore Police officers indicted in racketeering conspiracy

The last officer was scheduled to appear before a judge for his detention hearing Friday. At the last minute, detective Marcus Taylor's hearing was postponed. 

Pugh echoed the disappointed voiced by others in the city. She even went one step further, calling for a closer look at the system these officers allegedly abused to pay themselves nearly double their salaries in overtime. 

"We are calling for an independent audit of the police department, especially the overtime that has been reported," she said. "I also want you to know that I have been briefed as it relates to this investigation and it certainly has a really bad feeling for me."

See also: Commissioner Davis on officers indicted: 'It made me red-faced'

The mayor said this hurts because it flies in the face of the reform efforts by both the police department and the Department of Justice. 

"You can't help but feel for the citizens of our city because this is our money," Pugh said. "This kind of activity infringes upon the people who live in our city who want police to protect and serve. This is why we are under a consent decree."

Pugh called the investigation and subsequent cases a step in the right direction.