7 Baltimore officers arrested on robbery, other charges

BALTIMORE -- Seven Baltimore police officers are charged with operating a racketeering conspiracy in which they allegedly stole and extorted money from people.

One of the officers is also charged with dealing drugs.

In a news release Wednesday announcing the indictments and arrests of the officers, U.S. Attorney Rod Rosenstein says the case "is not about aggressive policing, it is about a criminal conspiracy."

The police department says the officers are suspended without pay.

In the news release, Police Commissioner Kevin Davis says the officers' crimes "erode trust with our community."

He says that "reform isn't always a pretty thing to watch unfold," but vowed it would continue "in our journey toward a police department our city deserves."

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