The Baltimore Police Department is investigating after a photo of an officer sleeping in his patrol car began circulating on social media.
Police say they received a photo of the incident Monday, which shows an officer in a black patrol car who appears to be sleeping.
It’s not clear if the officer was on break, off-duty or if a medical condition was involved.
But police spokesman Matt Jablow stated in an email that the department was looking into the circumstances behind the photo, according to the Baltimore Sun.
“What we have seen raises serious concerns about public safety, officer health and wellness and officer performance,” Jablow said.
His response was the same as Police Commissioner Michael Harrison’s in March who said he was “troubled” when another officer was found sleeping on the job.
In October 2018, an officer was fired after he was found slumped over and intoxicated in his patrol car near Pigtown, Baltimore.
Former Baltimore police officer Aaron Heilman was charged with DUI after a Breathalyzer revealed his blood alcohol level was .22.
In March, Baltimore Police Sergeant Michael Mancuso, and the president of the police union, said the department was fatigued and emphasized the department’s need for more officers.
Last week, commissioner Harrison pledged to crack down on officers who continue to exceed the department’s limit of 32 overtime hours per week.
Overtime availability at the department has made it possible for 40 of the 50 highest-paid city employees to be from the department.
The sleeping incident follows our reports of severe misconduct within the department that resulted in prison time for several members of a Gun Trace Task Force unit.
One family thinks their father was a victim of an inside hit job as a result of that investigation.
So officers sleeping on the job may be the least of the Baltimore Police Department’s worries.