Members sought for Montgomery County police advisory group

11 new appointees will serve three-year terms

December 4, 2023 6:31 p.m.

The Montgomery County Council is seeking members for the county’s Advisory Commission on Policing, according to the council agenda for the Dec. 5 meeting.

“The ACP is responsible for advising the Council on policing matters, recommending legislation or regulation for the Council’s consideration, conducting public outreach for community input, and accepting community feedback,” according to the agenda item.

There are 11 volunteer vacancies on the board for members of the public, and appointed members will serve three-year terms. Applications must be received by 5 p.m. on Dec. 8 for consideration.

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The Montgomery County Council changed the name of the Policing Advisory Commission to the Advisory Commission on Policing in October, but the body’s role will remain mostly the same.

Bill 32-23, sponsored by councilmember Dawn Luedtke (D-Dist. 7), proposed amendments to how the commission functions, including the name change, in hopes of preventing confusion between the commission and the state-mandated Police Accountability Board (PAB). The legislation also established term limits of two consecutive three-year terms for each member.

Every councilmember will be tasked with nominating one member of the public to represent their district. The councilmembers will review the applications and select which candidates will be interviewed.

In October, the council adopted language to note that diversity amongst board members should be prioritized when making appointments. This not only applies to race, but also to geography – several councilmembers noted the previous body had a disproportionate number of Silver Spring residents.

The council also voted Oct. 24 to clarify that the body “is responsible for advising the County Council on certain policing matters and is not an oversight body of the Police Department,” according to the legislation packet.

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Commission members will also be required to participate in various citizen trainings with the police department in order to serve, under the new legislation. The council broadened the scope of types of trainings that commission members could participate in for accessibility purposes. These may include citizen participation in Police Academy days, public forums and ridealongs.

Interested applicants are encouraged to submit a cover letter and a resume no longer than four pages by email to Council.Clerk@montgomerycountymd.gov addressed to Council President Glass, or by mail to Council President Glass, County Council Office, 100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20850. More information is available in the council agenda packet. 

Two additional members – one youth member and one young adult members – will be nominated by County Executive Marc Elrich (D).

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