Recently, CLPA highlighted Bill 49-21, which would establish a nine-member Police Accountability Board (PAB) nominated by the Montgomery County Executive and confirmed by the Council, but the County Executive would have the authority to appoint one or more nonvoting members. In addition, the bill would establish a five-member Administrative Charging Committee (ACC) and a three-member trial board.
The Bill mandates that at least one voting member resides in a municipality that operates a police department within the jurisdiction of the PAB and that the members of the Board reflect the racial, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, and cultural diversity of the County. All of the PAB and ACC members must be County residents.
Bill 49-21 requires each member of the PAB and the ACC to serve a 3-year term of office with term limits after serving two complete terms. The County Executive, when appointing members, must stagger the initial terms to ensure that the terms of approximately one-third of the members expire each year. The Membership of the trial board is to include either an active or retired administrative law judge or a retired district court or circuit court judge, a civilian selected by the PAB, and a police officer of equal rank to the officer being charged who the police chief chooses.
Yesterday in a unanimous vote, the Montgomery County Council approved Bill 49-21. The bill now awaits its official enactment by the County Executive.
Councilmember | Vote (Yea/Nea/Pass) |
Yea | |
Yea | |
Yea | |
Yea | |
Yea | |
Yea | |
Yea | |
Yea | |
Yea |
See the Council press release for more information on Bill-49-21's passage.