Per Montgomery County:
For Immediate Release: Friday, July 1, 2022
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich has appointed two residents to serve on the County’s inaugural Administrative Charging Committee. In April, the Montgomery County Council approved Bill 49-21 that established a Police Accountability Board (PAB) and Administrative Charging Committee (ACC). State law requires every Maryland county to establish an ACC by July 1.
Establishment of the ACC is in accordance with House Bill 670, which was approved by the Maryland General Assembly in 2021. The State law created a new uniform procedure for police accountability and discipline, including the establishment of a PAB and ACC in each county.
Appointed by County Executive Elrich to Montgomery County’s ACC are Christopher Jennison and Andrea McCoy Johnson.
“I am pleased to appoint these two diverse and qualified candidates to serve as part of the inaugural Administrative Charging Committee” said County Executive Elrich. “We received over 60 applicants for this Committee or the Police Accountability Board seats, and we appreciate all those who expressed interest in serving. We selected residents who believe in procedural justice, and we believe these individuals will bring increased accountability and transparency that will improve our police department and public safety in Montgomery County.”
The ACC has five voting members which include the chair of the Police Accountability Board, or another member of the board designated by the chair. All members of the ACC must be County residents. Two members are selected by the County Executive, two will be selected by the PAB, and the final member is the Chair of the PAB, Bishop Paul Walker, or his representative.
Bishop Paul Walker was confirmed by the County Council as the chair on June 28. The additional eight members of the Police Accountability Board were also confirmed by the Council on that date.
Qualifications for members of the ACC include being able to demonstrate through professional or lived experience, the ability to balance effective oversight, perform objective analysis of an investigative report and practice procedural fairness.
The ACC chair will receive an annual salary of $22,000 and the other four members will receive an annual salary of $16,000, both adjusted for changes in the consumer price index. Each member of ACC will serve a three-year term and will be term-limited after serving two complete terms.
More information about the ACC is available here.
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