Statement from CCDCC Regarding Police Accountability Board
On Tuesday, October 12, the Calvert County Office of the County Attorney, on behalf of the Board of County Commissioners, held a public town hall meeting to receive public input regarding the creation of a Calvert County Police Accountability Board. During the time for public comment, CCDCC Chair Duwane Rager gave the following statement on behalf of the Calvert County Democratic Central Committee.
If you wish to submit a comment regarding the PAB, submissions will be open until October 17. Use this link for comment submission.
Mr. President and members of the Calvert County Board of Commissioners, thank you for the opportunity to testify before you this evening. The Calvert County Democratic Central Committee sincerely appreciates your engaging the community on this deeply important issue.
For the record, my name is Duwane Rager, and I am the Chair of the Calvert County Democratic Central Committee. As you may know, a number of community members have expressed serious concerns regarding the proposed draft for the Police Accountability Board and the Administrative Charging Committee. We share those concerns.
The Calvert County Democratic Central Committee holds deep respect for our law enforcement officers. They put their lives on the line to protect all of us. For that reason, they are equipped with certain tools meant to save innocent lives. Unfortunately, as with any profession, tools of the trade can be misused and abused. The Declaration of Independence so famously lists those unalienable rights endowed to each of us by our Creator. The first of those is Life. When those forementioned tools have the inherent ability to strip someone of their sacred right to Life, the scrutiny and consequences of abusing such a tool must be equitable.
Additionally, our Founding Fathers laid out ten amendments to the Constitution. Collectively, we know these as the Bill of Rights. The fifth of these rights includes the right to due process. While the scrutiny of stripping someone of their unalienable right to life must be just as severe, we must ensure the protection of one’s right to due process. The Police Accountability Act of 2021 passed by the Maryland General Assembly earlier this year strives to do just that.
That law creates three separate boards with certain guidelines and requirements on how those boards should be composed. In order to comply with the recently passed legislation, the County released a draft proposal outlining the membership of both the Police Accountability Board and the Administrative Charging Commission. It is our understanding that the intent of the legislation was to create community oversight of local and state law enforcement agencies. Unfortunately, the current draft fails to meet that intent.
These oversight boards and committees are undoubtedly charged with very serious responsibilities. The consequences of their decisions of can be deeply impactful, affecting an individual’s career and a family’s livelihood. So too can the decisions levied by other boards and commissions whose members you appoint. For example, a decision by the planning commission could affect the value of someone’s property and their family’s financial well-being for generations. To that end, the membership requirements and operational guidelines for these newly created law enforcement oversight committees and boards should reflect pre-existing, similar boards and commissions. That should include whether members should undergo background checks. Just as it may be helpful to have a member of the committee or board with law enforcement experience, it is just as important to have members who have directly experienced the very actions leading to the complaints being investigated. It should also be reflective of the number of members, length of their terms, whether there are term limits, any compensation for the members, and how the chair would be selected. Additionally, as state law dictates, these boards and committees should be reflective of the racial, gender, and cultural diversity of Calvert County. The proposed draft also precisely defines the professional background and experience for a number of members. While we appreciate the intent, we encourage you to instead loosen these requirements. This would help ensure diversity while allowing professionals from various fields to consult members as requested. Finally, these boards and committees as drafted do not reflect the intent of the law to provide for community driven oversight. We encourage you to ensure robust community participation by appointing a majority of members from our own towns and neighborhoods, not just those with a law enforcement background.
In conclusion, the Calvert County Democratic Central Committee urges the Calvert County Board of Commissioners to drastically revise the proposed draft to better ensure citizen oversight, good governance, and true transparency. We look forward to continuing to work with you on this important issue as we strive to make our community safer for all its citizens. Thank you for your time.
