A highly debated police accountability bill is one step closer to being finalized after the Prince George’s County Council approved an amendment that would allow lawmakers to select members who will serve on a board designed to provide more community oversight of police. During a council meeting on Monday, lawmakers changed the language of the bill and allowed themselves to select five members of the Police Accountability Board (PAB), while the county executive appoints the five other slots along with the board’s chair.
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It was among many of the changes made Monday that the council said were a compromise to account for requests from community members. Many said they were frustrated by the bill’s implementation process and wanted to play a larger role in the formation of the board and selection of its members.
“I think we’ve just spent probably the last five hours going over this bill, amending this bill, asking questions about this bill, and I think ... it’s going to be trial and error like any piece of legislation,” Council member Todd M. Turner (D-District 4). “This is what democracy should be. This was about compromising.”
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But, some community members and advocates said they were still disappointed by the council’s changes, saying the approved amendments, specifically on the member appointment process and the powers of the board were “watered down.”
“This was a kick in our chest,” said Dawn Dalton, a community activist.
The PAB and Administrative Charging Committee (ACC) that would review alleged police misconduct were both born out of the Maryland Police Accountability Act passed by the General Assembly in 2021 as a response to cries for police reform following George Floyd’s killing by Minneapolis officers. On Monday, more than a dozen activists, parents and families of victims of police violence spoke during public comment emphasizing that the boards should be designed to deter police violence with the community involved in the disciplinary process.
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In recent months, some community members have raised concerns over the PAB member selection process and the strength of its investigatory powers. Prince George’s County Executive Angela D. Alsobrooks (D) has selected a list of 11 nominees for the council to consider for confirmation. But community advocates wanted members to be selected by the County Council, rather than the county executive.
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“In order to change the way that we do policing in this state and in this county, we must shift the power into the hands of the community,” Yanet Amanuel, public policy director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland, said in Monday’s meeting. “The problem for too long has been that the power over the police has been centralized in the county executive and police chief. And so allowing the county executive to appoint all or the majority of the board will continue that same practice.”
The council approved changes to the bill by a vote of 10-1, with a final vote on the legislation pending.
Council member Edward Burroughs III (D-District 8) was the only council member to vote against the bill, expressing concern about the board’s chair remaining as a position appointed by the county executive and urged the council to reconsider.
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“It appears there is an attempt to get to a better place as it relates to the composition, where the county executive is not appointing every member,” Burroughs said. “But, I still have real concerns about the county executive appointing members to the PAB, particularly the chair.”
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The council also addressed amendments relating to the PAB’s powers, meeting frequency and funding. Approved amendments included requiring the PAB to be made up of members who “reflect the racial, ethnic, gender, gender-identity, sexual orientation, cultural and geographic diversity of the County and should be required to include members with a range of professional or lived experiences.” Other changes included increasing the funding for the boards to 1 percent of the police department’s annual budget starting next year. Last week, the council approved a $5 billion county budget that includes $1.4 million for the new boards, and $372 million for the police department.
Advocates had demanded the board have its own powers to independently investigate police misconduct complaints and to submit its findings to the ACC. But the council backed an amendment on Monday that would allow the board to investigate evidence, interview witnesses, review body cameras and issue subpoenas as part of its review of the outcomes of the ACC’s disciplinary matters. Council members also decided to push a vote on an amendment relating to the ACC’s powers until it gets feedback from the attorney general’s office, which could delay a final vote on the bill. The deadline to establish the boards is July 1 under the Maryland Police Accountability Act of 2021.
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During public comment, Maryland Fraternal Order of Police First Vice President William Milam urged the council to establish a PAB that “both represents the county and is fair to police officers.” He said the council should not be swayed by “special interest groups” when determining the board.
“It is you along with the county executive that should rightly have the ability to establish the police accountability board,” Milam said. “Your path and authority to deal with such an important issue should not be watered down or be obfuscated or punted to some other entity.”
Sheila Colson, the mother of a Prince George’s police officer who was shot and killed by a colleague, traveled two hours from Philadelphia to attend the council meeting. She said she wanted to be there in person to support community efforts to create a community-centered police accountability process. Colson urged the council to “pass this bill,” and involve residents.
“As far as the death of my son, we didn’t receive justice when justice was due,” Colson said of Jacai Colson to the council. “No transparency. No accountability.”