PAB plans outreach, pamphlet and trial-board training recruitments; schedules public trial-board sessions in October

A PAB member reported the board has produced a public flyer and plans community outreach to raise awareness of the Police Accountability Board and the Police Accountability Act. The member said the board rented a booth at a late-September Fall Fest and will hand out the flyer to residents and civic groups to explain the PAB's mission.

The board stressed it is not trying to generate complaints but to educate on what constitutes a complaint and how the complaint process works. "We just wanna get the word out, and we feel that that's our responsibility," the member said. The board also discussed adding a commendation form to the PAB website and the potential for reciprocal QR-code links on law-enforcement websites to direct the public to PAB information.

Members also described efforts to increase civilian participation in trial boards: there are only two county residents currently eligible to serve on the civilian side of trial boards, and the PAB urged members and the public to take a two-day training in Sykesville. The PAB invited members to attend two Maryland State Police trial-board hearings in October: one scheduled Oct. 7 in the building that is open to the public and another scheduled Oct. 20 to be held via Zoom.

Westminster acting Chief Christian Price introduced himself and said Westminster will share its evidence-retention schedule with the board and that the city submitted several cases to the ACC during the reporting period. The board also discussed how victim's-rights advocates should be identified and listed so complainants know whom to contact when they disagree with ACC findings. The PAB said staff will follow up with departments to collect victim-advocate contact information and to coordinate outreach details.

No formal votes or policy adoptions were taken; the board scheduled administrative follow-ups and outreach planning with staff and law-enforcement contacts.