Readers respond to last week’s Feedback Friday topic, which was:
Civilian Police Accountability Boards
Civilians will soon be policing the police, for better or worse.
The Police Accountability Board (PAB) was created in compliance with the Maryland Police Accountability Act of 2021, a series of laws enacted by the Maryland General Assembly to ensure oversight, accountability, and transparency in policing after input from affected communities. In Maryland, each county is required to seat their PAB by July 1, 2022.
The Anne Arundel County Council passed the legislation to establish Anne Arundel County’s PAB at their April 18th meeting. The legislation sets the PAB seats at nine voting members, all of whom must be civilians. And the City of Annapolis will be represented by appointing one of these nine voting members. Other counties in the state are creating their boards similarly.
The PABs will engage in quarterly meetings and work with law enforcement agencies to improve matters of policing; receive complaints of police misconduct and forward to the appropriate agencies for investigation; appoint members of Administrative Charging Committees and Trial Boards; review outcomes of disciplinary matters; and report trends and recommend policies to elected officials to improve accountability in policing.
What do you think about Police Accountability Boards? Is it wise to have civilians—many of whom will not have first-hand training or experience of the occupation—overseeing police? Or is third-party oversight a good thing?
Here’s what you said:
Leave the police alone and let them do their jobs unless you like living in the state of crime and being on the news for exceeding crime statistics. It's OK to train and train those that receive complaints and how to handle them but they're already trying to do their jobs with 50 cameras on them and a vest what more do you want before we have no police. I'm of the belief that most of them are honest and upstanding and there's a reason they get into that business because they want to help and if we don't start giving them credit where credit is due we're not gonna have anyone and will live in a life of chaos and crime.
Denise White, Gambrills
I am a Maryland citizen with one daughter and three grandsons whom are police officers. When my daughter became an officer about 25 years ago she wanted to help others - just as she had seen on “The Any Griffith Show” - she believed “Mayberry” was a town she wanted to work in. Time has proven that unfortunately violence has become the norm and the Myth of Mayberry has become a dream of the past. Helping those who are in trouble is the main objective of my officers. It would never occur to them that they could be blamed for causing trouble and violence. They are good to the core and are willing to risk their lives to protect and aid those who are in need. It breaks my heart to hear the anger and hostility against the police. The violence we are seeing today is out of control. The police need all the help they can get to keep being the “Peacemakers” of our country. I am not naive. I know there are some bad folks who became officers just to have power and control over others. Like any family - there are prodigal persons. And there does need to be firm consequences on those who are destroying the “Force”.
Doris Gerlach, Easton
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