A new portal for filing complaints against County or municipal police officers in Montgomery County is now available through the County government website. The newly formed Police Accountability Board (PAB) will oversee complaints filed against the Montgomery County Police Department, Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, City of Gaithersburg Police Department, City of Takoma Park Police Department, City of Rockville Police Department and Village of Chevy Chase Police Department and their officers.
Montgomery County's PAB was established after the passage of the Maryland Police Accountability Act of 2021 (MD-HB 670.) It is a repeal and replacement of the Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights.
A nine-person panel for Montgomery County's PAB was selected by the County Executive's Office and confirmed by the County Council last month.
One of the PAB's first tasks will be rounding out the Administrative Charging Committee (ACC) which will evaluate complaints that come from the public and hold hearings on complaints they find credible. The ACC will consist of five members: Christopher Jennison and Andrea McCoy Johnson, who were both selected by County Executive Marc Elrich; the PAB Chairman Bishop Paul Walker or his appointee; and two others that have yet to be selected by the PAB members.
All members of either the PAB or ACC must also adhere to this purpose:
- Work with law enforcement agencies to review, provide policy advice and report on disciplinary matters stemming from public complaints about police misconduct.
- Hold quarterly meetings with the directors of one or more law enforcement agencies operating in the County who employ one or more police officers.
- Appoint civilian members to the ACC and trial boards.
- Review the outcomes of disciplinary matters considered by the ACC on a quarterly basis.
- Advise the County Executive and Council on policing matters.
- Refer each complaint of police misconduct filed with the PAB to the appropriate law enforcement agency within three days after receipt for investigation.
- The name of the police officer accused of misconduct.
- A description of the facts on which the complaint is based.
- Contact information of the complainant or a person filing on behalf of the complainant for investigative follow-up.
After a Complaint Form is submitted, instructions will be given to download the submitted form in PDF format.
Anyone unable to complete the form on-line should print out each page of the form and submit or mail it to Police Accountability Board; C/O Earl Stoddard and Lindsay Bolt; 101 Monroe Street, 2nd Floor; Rockville, MD 20850.
Additional information is available by calling MC311 (dial 311 in the County or 240-777-0311 from outside the County).
