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Carroll County PAB reports low complaint rate, urges longer terms and outreach; commissioners approve term increase
Summary
The Police Accountability Board and Administrative Charging Committee reported 51 public complaints out of roughly 83,867 police-public interactions in 2025 and recommended staggered three-year terms, expanded outreach, and more trial-board members. Commissioners voted to extend member terms to three years and asked staff to return a clean resolution.
Ben Wade, chair of the Police Accountability Board, told the Carroll County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 19 that the board and its administrative charging committee had finished their 2025 year-end report and that the local oversight bodies were recommending structural changes to improve continuity and public understanding.
"Out of almost 84,000 interactions to have only 51 complaints," Wade said in his overview, using the figures the PAB and ACC compiled across sheriff and municipal agencies, "that speaks toward the trend of policing here in Carroll County." The PAB and ACC also reported that four officers were charged following investigation and that one case resulted in recommended dismissal.
Tom Baird, chair of the Administrative Charging Committee, described the committees' jurisdiction under the state's Police Accountability Act and outlined how complaints are handled: agencies investigate and present cases to the ACC, which determines whether charges should be brought and issues a written decision transmitted to the involved parties.
The two boards asked commissioners to address three recurring operational problems: turnover and staffing on the PAB/ACC (including lengthy mandatory training that limits newly appointed members' ability to participate immediately), limited public awareness of the boards' role and complaint process, and too few eligible civilian trial-board members available to sit on post-adjudication hearings. Their written recommendations include staggering terms and extending them from two to three years to preserve institutional knowledge and reduce the frequency of quorums falling short.
Commissioners pressed for details about the proposed change and about public reporting. The PAB said it already maintains a website where citizens can file complaints, and it has done limited outreach (brochure and a fall-fest booth) and planned civic presentations.
After discussion, Commissioner Krebs moved to change terms to three years with staggered appointments and to allow members to serve until replacements were appointed and trained. The motion passed on a voice vote.
Commissioners also asked the PAB to present its annual report to the board in January or February going forward, a change the PAB said they would welcome. The PAB noted a statutory December 31 reporting deadline that can make inclusion of late-year data difficult; commissioners asked staff to consider codifying an annual public presentation in the county resolution that governs the advisory bodies.
What remains next: the PAB will work with county staff to draft a clean resolution reflecting the term change, and county attorneys will confirm the language and timing to minimize gaps in membership while preserving the required training and statutory obligations.
