Baltimore Police Officer Indicted For Allegedly Faking Traffic Stops

A Baltimore Police officer has been indicted after investigators accused him of logging fake traffic stops to avoid responding to calls for service.

Officer Dequwan Houchins faces four counts of false entry in a public record and five counts of misconduct in office, Baltimore State’s Attorney Ivan Bates announced Monday.

According to reports, the allegations surfaced in December 2025 during a Baltimore Police Department audit that found Houchins had allegedly entered numerous false traffic stops into the department’s electronic reporting system over several months. Investigators also found no corresponding body-camera footage, which is required during traffic stops.

Authorities believe Houchins used the false entries to make it appear he was unavailable for service calls, forcing other officers to handle assignments that otherwise would have gone to him.

“This was just a lazy cop who didn’t want to do anything and wanted to collect a paycheck,” Police Commissioner Richard Worley said.

An internal anonymous complaint also accused Houchins of submitting false reports over a four-month period. Undercover detectives later followed him during four patrol shifts and documented nine legitimate stops and eight allegedly false reports.

Court records indicate investigators observed Houchins sitting in his patrol vehicle or handling personal matters during some of the times he claimed to be conducting traffic stops, including ordering a smoothie.

Houchins, who worked in the Northeast District for five years, has had his police powers suspended. He remains paid and assigned to administrative duties.