Md. panel makes police accountability recommendations
A Maryland panel is recommending the state extend the time residents can file a complaint against police from 90 days to a year and a day.
The recommendation was one of about 20 approved Monday by a workgroup of state lawmakers.
The panel was created by legislative leaders in May, days after rioting in Baltimore in the aftermath of Freddie Gray’s death in police custody.
William Hall, an attorney in Salisbury, says this recommendation is not a good idea.
He tells 47ABC the longer a person takes to file a complaint, the less credibility he or she may have. Hall says it also could complicate the amount of evidence attorneys work have to work with.
“For instance, video tape can be gone. Dash cam footage from the police car will be recorded over after a certain period of time, so if somebody does have a problem with a police officer they need to record it immediately.” Explains Hall.
The workgroup also wants to limit the time a law enforcement officer can take to retain an attorney for internal investigations from 10 days to five days. Advocates for stronger police accountability measures say the 10-day period prevents an officer under investigation from being interrogated for up to 10 days after an alleged incident.
The recommendations will be considered in the upcoming legislative session.
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