Concern over Baltimore rape cases

Baltimore's police commissioner says his department will work to improve how it categorizes and resolves rape investigations.

Frederick Bealefeld's announcement Sunday comes after a review of FBI records by The Baltimore Sun found that Baltimore has the largest percentage of rape cases that police conclude are false or baseless of any city in the country.

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has ordered an audit of the department's procedures and statistics and City Council President Jack Young says he has asked council members to “examine police investigative practices” after the audit is done.

Crime data collected by the FBI shows that nearly one-third of rape cases investigated by detectives are deemed unfounded, which is five times the national average.

This item has been updated since it was first published.

-- The Baltimore Sun