Anthony Batts

Who is Anthony Batts?

Anthony W. Batts is the Police Commissioner of the Baltimore Police Department, the 8th largest city police department in the country. He was formerly the chief of police for Oakland, California, and Long Beach, California. Batts worked in the Long Beach Police Department for 27 years, rising to Chief of Police in 2002. Under Batts, homicides decreased 45% and overall crime decreased 13% in Long Beach. Batts has said that he was motivated to seek the Oakland Chief of Police job by the aftermath of the killing of four Oakland police officers in March, 2009. On October 11, 2011, Chief Batts announced that he was resigning from the Oakland Police Department in November. In a letter to Oakland city workers, he stated "It is with great regret that I tender this official notice of my intent to resign as chief of police for the city of Oakland." On August 27, 2012, it was reported that Batts would become the police commissioner of the Baltimore Police Department, effective September 27, 2012.