ARTICLE I – NAME

The name of the Board shall be the Carroll County Police Accountability Board (“CCPAB”) The CCPAB was formed by the Board of County Commissioners, via County Resolution 1143-2022, adopted May 5, 2022.

ARTICLE II – PURPOSE

The mission of the CCPAB is to (1) hold quarterly meetings with the heads of law enforcement agencies and otherwise work to improve matters of policing; (2) appoint civilian members to the charging committee and trial boards; (3) receive complaints of police misconduct filed by members of the public; (4) on a quarterly basis, review outcomes of disciplinary matters considered by the charging committee; (5) by December 31 each year, submit a report to the governing body of the county, that identifies any trends in the disciplinary process of police officers in the county and makes recommendations on changes to policy that would improve police accountability in the county.    

ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP

  1. The CCPAB shall consist of five (5) members appointed by the Board of County Commissioners of Carroll County, including the Chairperson designated by the Governing Body of Carroll County.
  2. The Chairperson shall have experience relevant to the position.
  3. Two (2) members may be sworn law enforcement officers who retired in good standing.
  4. Two (2) members shall be selected from a list of five (5) names forwarded to the Board of County Commissioners of Carroll County from the County Chapter of the Maryland Municipal league.
  5. To the extent practicable, the membership of the CCPAB shall reflect the racial, gender, and cultural diversity of Carroll County.

ARTICLE IV – TERMINATION

  1. Members shall serve a term of two (2) years and shall not be eligible for reappointment after a total of four (4) years of service.
  2. Any member may resign at anytime by providing written notice to the Board of County Commissioners.
  3. A member may be removed in accordance with the following provisions:
    1. The Board of County Commissioners may remove any member on its own initiative based on a recommendation of a majority vote of the CCPAB, when, in its discretion, the best interest of the community would not be served by continued membership.  
    2. The Chairperson shall notify the Board of County Commissioners if a member of the CCPAB misses three (3) scheduled meetings in any twelve (12) month period without an excused absence. The Board of County Commissioners shall remove and replace such member.

ARTICLE V – COMPLIANCE WITH REGULATIONS

  1. Members of the CCPAB shall maintain confidentiality relating to any complaints of police misconduct until the final disposition of the matter.
  2. Members of the CCPAB shall comply with the Maryland Open Meetings Act, Md. Ann. Code, General Provisions Art., §3-101, et seq., as amended hereafter from time to time.
  3. The custodian of all records, of any form, including, without limitation, paper, media, and electronic, of the CCPAB shall be the Chairperson of the CCPAB with:
    1. Records pertaining to any administrative investigation being deposited and secured by the Office of the County Attorney; and
    2. Records pertaining to any criminal investigation being deposited and secured by the Office of the State’s Attorney.

ARTICLE VI – REPORTS 

  1. By December 31st each year, the CCPAB shall submit a report to the Board of County Commissioners that identifies any trends in the disciplinary process of police officers in Carroll County and include recommendations on changes to policy that would improve police accountability in Carroll County.

Article VII - POLICY

  1. The CCPAB shall not adopt policies in conflict with the laws of the United States of America, the State of Maryland and or/ the Carroll County Code of Public Local Laws and Ordinances.
  2. The CCPAB shall not be used to influence, directly or indirectly, any political election or activity for personal gain.
  3. No member of the CCPAB shall obligate or incur any liabilities in the name of the PAB or the Carroll County Government.

ARTICLE VIII – APPROVAL

The forgoing by-laws of the CCPAB were approved unanimously by the CCPAB on November 7, 2022.