On Tuesday, August 2nd, the Dorchester County Council will seek out a staffing agency to fill out its police oversight committees and boards.
Under the Maryland Police Accountability Act of 2022, each county in Maryland is required to establish an administrative charging committee (ACC), police accountability board (PAB), and trial board. ACCs receive complaints of police misconduct and determine levels of punishment, whereas PABs and trial boards hear appeals of any recommended punishment.
Council Member Libby Nagel proposed the Council hire a headhunter firm to properly staff the oversight entities using available funds. Dorchester Council Member Lenny Pfeffer, a member of MACo’s Board of Directors, added that the Council should prioritize using American Rescue Plan funds in service of the community in a quote provided to the Dorchester Star:
We have American Rescue Plan funds to spend in the county. The county received $6.2 million dollars worth of American Rescue Plan funds. We’re trying to look at ways to best help the county, organizations and citizens…
Teresa Bean, counsel to Dorchester County’s PAB, advised the Council to endorse a diversity model adopted by other counties in filling out vacancies. Regardless of their approaches, many counties report difficulties finding qualified community members, especially with respect to vacant retired judge positions. Newly announced training requirements are also anticipated to hinder the pool of applicants due to the inflexible time commitment involved.