Police Accountability Board presents 2025 annual report; board notes low complaint volume and outreach efforts

The Police Accountability Board presented its 2025 annual report to the Wicomico County Council on Feb. 17, summarizing complaint volumes, outcomes and outreach efforts.

Coordinator Jessica Lewis and member Lauren Lieberman Kemp reported that the administrative charging committee received 22 complaints during 2025, with nine cases under review at the time the report was finalized. The report includes cases carried over from 2024; Lewis explained agencies generally have up to "a year and a day" to complete investigations and that some cases remain pending as a result.

The report shows a mix of determinations: several allegations were recorded as "unfounded," and a smaller number were "sustained," which results in administrative discipline under the applicable disciplinary matrix. Lewis said the board is pursuing community outreach and education efforts to clarify what constitutes civil-rights violations and to reduce misunderstandings about the complaint process. She described classes for community groups including Homes for Hope that teach interaction and de-escalation strategies and said she has worked to secure grant funding so that committee members receive stipends.

Council members asked about board vacancies and background-check timing; Lewis said the board is a nine-member panel currently operating with five members and that background checks by the sheriff's office must be completed before formal appointments are forwarded for council confirmation. Staff and members discussed retention concerns and the recent effort to include stipends to improve attendance.

The board said it will continue outreach and training and that the report will be posted with contact information for filing complaints online, by mail or through local law-enforcement agencies.