The recent arrest of a 7-year-old boy in Baltimore City might be slowing the progress of a bill in Annapolis that would give the Baltimore City police union binding arbitration privileges with the city on its contract.

“It passed through [the Senate] easily,” said Del. Curt Anderson, D-District 43. “But with these latest things going on, maybe [the police] shouldn’t be” getting these privileges.

Mayor Sheila Dixon is expected to attend this morning’s delegation meeting in Annapolis to discuss the latest incident surrounding the police department, said Anderson, who chairs the city’s House delegation.

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The incident, first reported by The Examiner, occurred earlier this month when Baltimore City police arrested and handcuffed Gerard Mungo Jr., 7, for sitting on a dirt bike.

His mother was arrested two weeks after that incident on charges of impeding a drug investigation. Charges against both mother and son have been dropped, while the arrests have set off a flurry of protests in the city.

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. George Della, D-District 46, said he wasn’t aware the legislation (SB 509) was facing opposition from House members.

“It’s unfortunate that these things have happened, but whether there’s binding arbitration or not, that’s a separate issue,” Della said.

Della’s bill would allow a binding arbitration process to be used in the event the Baltimore police union and the city cannot reach a negotiated contract agreement by March 1. Under current law, the city police department does not have binding arbitration rights because it is classified as a state agency. The process for the police department would be similar to the one currently being used by the city fire department.

“This is a parity issue,” Della said. “They’re in the same pension system. … This would mirror what the fire department has.”

stracy@baltimoreexaminer.com