ANNAPOLIS, MD (AP) – The U.S. Justice Department has opened an investigation into the Maryland State Police to determine if the agency engaged in racially discriminatory hiring and promotion practices. An announcement from federal prosecutors follows a series of complaints from black troopers about harassment and mistreatment by fellow white officers. Those concerns had drawn the attention of a Maryland state legislator last year. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and Maryland State Police Superintendent Col. Woodrow Jones III have been informed and pledged cooperation with the investigation. Hogan’s office also says the state has committed funds to increase diversity and strengthen recruitment.
