Anthony Batts

Batts was born in Washington, D.C., and lived there until he was five years old, when his family relocated to San Francisco, and several years later, to Los Angeles.{{Cite web|last=Fenton|first=Justin|date=September 22, 2012|title=New Baltimore Police Commissioner Batts seeks fresh start|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-ci-batts-profile-20120922-story.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603232808/https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-ci-batts-profile-20120922-story.html|archive-date=June 3, 2020|access-date=June 3, 2020|website=baltimoresun.com}} He grew up in South Los Angeles.

Batts has earned a Doctorate in Public Administration, a Master of Business Management, and a Bachelor of Science in Law Enforcement Administration.

Batts was chief of police for the Californian cities of Oakland and Long Beach. He worked in the Long Beach Police Department for 27 years,{{cite web|url=http://www.everythinglongbeach.com/farewell-dinner-chief-anthony-batts/|title=LB Police Foundation plans farewell dinner for Chief Anthony Batts|work=Everything Long Beach|access-date=July 9, 2015}} rising to Chief of Police in 2002.{{cite web|url=http://www.longbeach.gov/police/about/chief_of_police.asp |title=City of Long Beach |work=Longbeach.gov |access-date=July 9, 2015 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524110510/http://www.longbeach.gov/police/about/chief_of_police.asp |archive-date=May 24, 2015 }} Under Batts, homicides decreased by 45%, and overall crime decreased by 13% in Long Beach.[http://www.eastbayexpress.com/news/dellums_gets_his_mojo_back/Content?oid=1176979] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090821143020/http://www.eastbayexpress.com/news/dellums_gets_his_mojo_back/Content?oid=1176979|date=August 21, 2009}} The drop in the violent crime rate in the city was the lowest in nearly 40 years.{{Cite news|last=McKinley|first=Jesse|date=October 15, 2009|title=New Oakland Police Chief Inherits a Force, and a City, in Turmoil|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/16/us/16sfoakland.html|access-date=June 3, 2020|issn=0362-4331}} He led the police department for seven years.

In 2006, while serving as chief of police in Long Beach, Batts became embroiled in "lobstergate": three officers reported colleagues for fishing for lobsters while on duty. Batts allegedly called the reporting officers "malcontents" and forced them into a variety of undesirable assignments in retribution; Batts denied the allegations.{{cite web |title=Chief Batts takes the stand in "Lobstergate" trial |url=https://www.presstelegram.com/2008/02/01/chief-batts-takes-the-stand-in-lobstergate-trial/ |website=presstelegram.com |date=February 2008 |access-date=September 2, 2020}} The officers sued the City of Long Beach in 2008 and were awarded $1 million each by a jury.{{cite web |title=Officers awarded $1 million each in 'Lobstergate' |url=https://www.dailybreeze.com/2008/02/15/officers-awarded-1-million-each-in-lobstergate/ |website=presstelegram.com |date=February 15, 2008 |access-date=September 2, 2020}} Batts left the Long Beach PD shortly afterward.

Batts has stated that he was motivated to seek the Oakland Chief of Police position by the aftermath of the killing of four Oakland police officers in March 2009.{{cite web|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/08/18/BAKB199TK5.DTL|title=Oakland officers' killings led Batts to job|work=SFGate.com|access-date=July 9, 2015}} He was appointed Chief of Police in late 2009. In mid-2011, Batts applied to the San Jose Police Department without informing the Mayor of his intention to leave. Having lost the confidence of both the Mayor and the rank-and-file officers, he resigned in October 2011.{{cite web |title=The Rise and Fall of Anthony Batts |url=https://www.themarshallproject.org/2015/07/10/the-rise-and-fall-of-anthony-batts |website=themarshallproject.org |date=July 10, 2015 |access-date=September 2, 2020}}

After a brief period in a research position at Harvard, Batts became the police commissioner of the Baltimore Police Department on September 27, 2012.{{cite web|url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/crime/blog/bs-md-ci-new-police-commissioner-20120827,0,4471221.story|title=Baltimore police commissioner expected to be former Oakland chief - Baltimore Sun|author=Baltimore Sun|date=August 27, 2012|work=Baltimoresun.com|access-date=July 9, 2015}} During his tenure in Baltimore, his team implemented reforms that led to dramatic reductions in all metrics used to assess police performance, including declines in all Part I crime statistics, excessive force complaints, and citizen grievances.{{Cite web|title=Commissioner Anthony W. Batts (Ret.), D.P.A.|url=https://www.policefoundation.org/team_detail/commissioner-anthony-w-batts-ret-d-p-a/|access-date=June 3, 2020|website=National Police Foundation}}

On December 23, 2014, Batts was named in a lawsuit filed by a whistleblower from the Baltimore Police Department for failing to protect the officer from retaliation after reporting severe police brutality.{{cite web|title=Whistle-blower officer files lawsuit against Batts, BPD |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-ci-crystal-whistleblower-ratgate-lawsuit-20141223-story.html |work=The Baltimore Sun |date=December 23, 2014 |access-date=September 2, 2020}} The lawsuit was settled on June 1, 2016, after Batts was dismissed, with the officer receiving a $42,000 settlement.{{cite web|title=Baltimore to pay $42K to whistle-blower former officer who found rat on car |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-ci-crystal-settlement-20160601-story.html |website=baltimoresun.com |date=June 2016 |access-date=September 2, 2020}}

On July 8, 2015, Batts was dismissed from his position as Baltimore Police Commissioner in the aftermath of a spike in homicide rates following the 2015 Baltimore riots.{{cite web|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/baltimore-police-commissioner-anthony-batts-to-be-replaced|title=Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony Batts to be replaced|date=July 8, 2015|work=Cbsnews.com|access-date=March 27, 2016}} Reports also cited the controversial handling of the Freddie Gray case as a factor leading to his removal.{{Cite web|last=Cassie|first=Ron|date=July 8, 2015|title=Mayor Fires Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony Batts|url=https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/2015/7/8/mayor-fires-baltimore-police-commissioner-anthony-batts|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603233604/https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/2015/7/8/mayor-fires-baltimore-police-commissioner-anthony-batts|archive-date=June 3, 2020|access-date=June 3, 2020|website=Baltimore magazine|language=en}} Gray died in police custody.{{Cite web|last=George|first=Justin|title=Former police commissioner: Mosby 'incompetent' and 'vindictive'|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/crime/bs-md-ci-batts-gray-20160727-story.html|access-date=June 3, 2020|website=baltimoresun.com|date=July 27, 2016}}

Batts has received numerous awards and commendations for heroism, crime reduction, community activism, and innovative programs. These include the California State University Long Beach Alumni of the Year, Boy Scouts of America Distinguished Citizen Award in Long Beach and Oakland, and Leadership Long Beach Alumnus of the Year. Batts was also honored by the Anti-Defamation League for his community outreach efforts to combat antisemitism, bigotry, and other forms of intolerance. He has served on various boards, including the Long Beach Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees, the Board of Governors for Long Beach City College, the Board of Directors for the Boy Scouts of America, and the Long Beach Children's Clinic.

Batts currently{{As of? |date=June 2024}} serves as an instructor at the FBI-Law Enforcement Executive Development Association.

Batts's former wife is Laura Richardson, a Californian Democrat and former member of the United States House of Representatives.{{Cite web|url=http://history.house.gov/People/Detail/20805|title=Richardson, Laura {{!}} US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives|website=history.house.gov|access-date=July 12, 2016}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{C-SPAN|78541}}
• [http://www.c-span.org/video/?323886-1/qa-anthony-batts Q&A interview with Batts], c-span.org, March 1, 2015.

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{{succession box |title=Chief of the Oakland Police Department|before=Wayne Tucker|after=Howard Jordan |years=2009–2011}}

{{succession box|before=Frederick H. Bealefeld III|title=Baltimore Police Department Commissioner|years=2012–2015|after=Kevin Davis}}

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Category:1960 births

Category:Living people

Category:Law enforcement officials from California

Category:Commissioners of the Baltimore Police Department

Category:Chiefs of the Oakland Police Department