美国马里兰州巴尔的摩警察部门的一名30岁警官德昆·豪金斯因伪造交通检查记录以逃避执勤而被提起刑事诉讼[1]。豪金斯面临四项虚假公共记录罪和五项渎职罪[1]，每项虚假记录罪最高可判12年监禁并罚款4000美元[1]。
根据控方调查，2024年4月8日至5月13日期间，警方卧底跟踪了豪金斯四个交通巡查班次，每次持续两小时[1]。调查发现，豪金斯在声称进行交通巡查的时间段内实际上坐在车中闲散，甚至在一个场合订购了冰沙[1]。豪金斯共记录了八项不合法的交通检查，同时也制作了九项合法检查[1]。此外，豪金斯未按警察部门规定提交任何执法记录仪视频[1]。
巴尔的摩市州律师伊万·贝茨表示"为个人方便伪造官方记录是严重背信"[1]。巴尔的摩警察局长理查德·沃利则评价道，"这是一个懒惰的警察，不想做任何事，只想领工资"[1]。豪金斯对指控进行了否认，声称自己从18岁起就渴望成为警察并喜欢这份工作[1]。
Dequwan Houchins, a 30-year-old police officer with the Baltimore Police Department, faces four counts of falsifying public records and five counts of misconduct stemming from allegations that he fabricated traffic stops to avoid work responsibilities [1]. Each false record charge carries a maximum sentence of 12 years imprisonment and a $4,000 fine [1].
An undercover investigation conducted between April 8 and May 13, 2024, revealed the pattern of misconduct [1]. Police monitored four traffic patrol shifts, each lasting two hours, during which Houchins recorded eight illegitimate traffic stops while documenting nine legitimate ones [1]. According to prosecutors, during periods when Houchins claimed to be conducting traffic enforcement, he was instead idle in his vehicle—in one instance, he ordered a smoothie—leaving other officers to handle calls that should have been his responsibility [1]. The officer also failed to submit any body camera footage as required by department policy [1].
Baltimore State's Attorney Ivan Bates characterized the conduct as a serious breach of public trust, stating that "fabricating official records for personal convenience is a grave betrayal" [1]. Police Commissioner Richard Worley delivered a harsher assessment, describing Houchins as "a lazy cop who doesn't want to do anything and just wants to get paid" [1]. Houchins has contested the smoothie allegation and claimed he has aspired to be a police officer since age 18 and genuinely enjoys the work [1].