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Council introduces bill to repeal local Police Advisory Commission, citing overlap with state-mandated Police Accountability Board
Summary
Councilmembers Luedtke and Katz introduced expedited Bill 2723 to repeal the county's Police Advisory Commission (PAC), arguing the state-created Police Accountability Board (PAB) and Administrative Charging Committee (ACC) now perform overlapping functions; a public hearing is scheduled for June 13 and a Public Safety Committee work session for June 26.
Montgomery County Council on May 25 introduced expedited Bill 2723 to repeal the local Police Advisory Commission (PAC), sponsors said, to avoid public confusion with the Police Accountability Board (PAB) and the Administrative Charging Committee (ACC) established under the state Police Accountability Act of 2021.
Councilmember Luedtke, co-sponsor of the bill, said the PAB and ACC are statutorily required under state law and will begin receiving complaints under state and local rules starting July 1. Luedtke said the local PAC had been created as an advisory body but that, with both PAB and ACC now in place and the PAB staffed by Executive Director Fatima Thabari, maintaining a separate county PAC risks duplicative functions and public confusion. “My goal is simply to streamline matters for the public and recognize that each and every resident has the opportunity to share thoughts with the council and with the PAB regarding law enforcement at any time,” Luedtke said.
Several council members urged careful deliberation and engagement before removing the PAC. Councilmember Joanda said the PAC was created to advise the council and is primarily appointed by the council, while the PAB is appointed by the county executive and has different statutory duties; she urged in-depth discussions with current and former PAC members before action. Councilmember Katz noted PAC terms expire July 31 and said the council should complete this conversation before considering reappointments.
Staff provided a scheduling clarification: members of the PAB were appointed by resolution on June 28, 2022, and their terms started in 2022, not 2023, as reflected in the staff report.
The measure was introduced for public hearing on June 13, with a Public Safety Committee work session scheduled for June 26. No final vote on repeal occurred on May 25; councilmembers framed the introduction as the start of a public process.
