The mayor's decision to replace Batts on an interim basis with Deputy Police Commissioner Kevin Davis — effective immediately — came as the City Council was preparing to send her a letter calling for Batts' resignation. "Recent events have placed an intense focus on our police leadership, distracting many from what needs to be our main focus, the fight against crime," she said. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake fired Police Commissioner Anthony W. Batts Wednesday, saying his presence had become a distraction in a city that needs to focus on ending a dramatic spike in homicides. Rawlings-Blake's decision was applauded by many church and political leaders, some pointing to the rise in homicides, which reached a 25-year high in May when 42 people were killed. Batts, who was confirmed to a full six-year term last September, told The Baltimore Sun that he leaves the job proud of his service. "I've been proud to be a police officer for this city." 'Too many continue to die' 
 
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 In his first interview after Gray's death, Batts told CNN's Evan Perez that the community lacks trust in law enforcement, and police must acknowledge that "we are part of the problem." "As we have seen in recent weeks, too many continue to die on our streets, including three just last night, and one lost earlier today," the mayor said. "Families are tired of feeling this pain, and so am I." The union's review was undertaken because rank-and-file officers "do not want to see Baltimore burn again," he said. Just hours before announcing that she had fired Batts, the mayor's office issued a statement denouncing the union's report as "no more than a trumped up political document full of baseless accusations, finger pointing and personal attacks."
– Not-so-surprising news out of Baltimore: Police chief Anthony Batts is out of a job. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake announced his firing today, reports the Baltimore Sun. "We need a change," she said. "The people of Baltimore deserve better." Though the mayor praised the chief's nearly three years of service, she said the city's surge in violence demanded action. Batts also has taken criticism of late not only for his handling of the Freddie Gray riots but for the department's alleged culture of misconduct and brutality. (The Justice Department, for example, is investigating.) Before the mayor's announcement, the police union issued a scathing report accusing Batts and other department leaders of a "passive" response to the initial Freddie Gray unrest that led to further violence, reports CNN. Top commanders "put the image of themselves and City Hall ahead of the safety of its citizens and public servants," says the union. A spokesperson for the mayor criticized the union for "baseless" accusations like that. (This sign inside a police van probably didn't help Batts' case.)