Police reform advocates spoke against proposed changes to the Policing Advisory Commission during the Montgomery County Council public hearing Tuesday.
The bill would rename the commission to the Community Advisory Commission on Public Safety, give voting power to the police chief and remove the requirement for younger members of the commission.
Speakers worried a name change could shift attention away from community input on policing to looking broadly at public safety.
Amyra Hasan, of Young People for Progress, was one of these speakers. There are many county advisory boards and commissions that address factores of public safety, Hasan said, but few address policing.
“The PAC fills this gap in knowledge through valuable seconds, useful recommendations and critical policy analysis,” Hasan said. “It is clear that this bill is unpopular, and we urge the council to listen to its constituents. Especially the ones that are most vulnerable to experiencing police misconduct”.
The bill eliminates the requirement that one commission member must be no older than 25 and one member be between 26 and 35 years old.
Patricia Fenn, the Community Chair for the Montgomery County NAACP, said the bill undermines community involvement in police accountability. Fenn said the NAACP opposes the elimination of these two seats designed for high schoolers and young adults.
“These groups must be included because their perspective on policing is likely to provide valuable insights in policymaking,” Fenn said. “As the council seeks to expand inclusion of the vantage points of marginalized groups in this legislation, the effort to exclude young people from this body flies in the face of our endeavors”.
The bill would also create a voting position for the police chief and the president of a police employee organization or their respective designees. Currently, the chief of police and the Fraternal Order of Police and their designees serve as ex-officio members.
Sami Seed, the student board member for the Montgomery County Public Schools, said he opposes all aspects of the bill including the addition of voting positions for police officers.
“It is completely misguided to give a voice to the group that a board seeks to oversee,” Seed said.
Another change would be that the public members of the commission should include representation from business owners and organizations.
Eric Sterling, who is on the commission, is against this being included in the bill and said there is no evidence that these groups endure disproportionate contact or use of force by police.
The county council created the commission in 2019 to advise the council on policing matters and make recommendations. This was a response to the “ongoing public dialogue around policing practices,” according to the council website.
The council later created a separate Police Accountability Board, in compliance with a state mandate.
The Public Safety Committee will discuss the proposed changes during their work session on Sept. 18.
