Police leader tapped to mend Baltimore force eager to start

BALTIMORE (AP) — The man tapped to mend Baltimore’s fractured police force and tame the city’s violent crime says he’s eager to take on the challenge.

In a Wednesday interview with The Associated Press, New Orleans Police Superintendent Michael Harrison said he’s ready to take over a troubled law enforcement agency distrusted by many it’s charged to protect.

He faces a daunting to-do list in Baltimore. But he aims to methodically rebuild trust between a skeptical public and officers while improving morale in the dispirited ranks. Harrison says strict accountability from the patrol ranks to the command staff is paramount to achieving buy-in from the community.

Baltimore’s mayor on Tuesday chose Harrison as her nominee to lead the city’s force and become a key player in making sure court-mandated reforms take root.