Sign in Baltimore Police Van: 'Enjoy Your Ride'

Cops investigating 'unacceptable' wording
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 3, 2015 10:29 AM CDT
Sign in Baltimore Police Van: 'Enjoy Your Ride'
A damaged police van drives past demonstrators during unrest following the funeral of Freddie Gray on April 27, 2015, in Baltimore.   (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

An unsettling development involving police in Baltimore: Photos snapped Tuesday near the city's Central District Police Station show a sign on the inside of a police van door—like the one in which Freddie Gray rode—that reads: "Enjoy your ride, cuz we sure will!" The sign, which appears to be stenciled, would face prisoners in the van when the doors are closed, reports WBAL, which was sent the photos from a viewer. The channel says Baltimore police have authenticated the photos and say they are taking the matter "very seriously."

"The nature and the posting of [the] wording ... is both concerning and unacceptable," the Baltimore Police Department says in a statement. "We have recently become aware of the wording and have begun an internal investigation to determine all the circumstances surrounding its placement and to identify the person or persons responsible for its posting." The latest controversy for Baltimore police comes months after a violent ride reportedly killed Gray. Meanwhile, Reuters reports police vans in Baltimore will now be equipped with working video cameras. (A report found that many suspects arrive at Baltimore's jails injured.)

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