Dawn Lister, a criminal justice teacher and a member of Calvert’s new police accountability board, addresses the panel at its first meeting on Wednesday.
Dawn Lister, a criminal justice teacher and a member of Calvert’s new police accountability board, addresses the panel at its first meeting on Wednesday.
A historic meeting took place Wednesday morning at the Harriet Elizabeth Brown Community Center in Prince Frederick as Calvert County’s recently appointed police accountability board convened for the first time.
The nine-member panel was created after state legislation passed in 2021 mandated Maryland’s jurisdictions create citizen committees to oversee local law enforcement. Calvert began its formulation process in a timely manner and, after several well-attended town hall-style meetings, began the application and vetting processes. One week before the state-mandated compliance date — July 1 — the county commissioners appointed eight of the nine members to the new board.
Wilson Parran, a former county commissioner, was appointed police accountability board chairman.
“I keep failing at retiring,” Parran quipped. “I love serving the community.”
The police accountability board and two other boards — an administrative charging committee and trial board — will be required to review citizens’ complaints regarding the job performances of local law enforcement officers.
Parran said the police accountability board will focus on “getting the facts so that whatever decision is made is based on facts and not bias.”
The members present introduced themselves to each other as well as to the live and virtual audience by giving their background information and goals they hope to accomplish as part of newly formed board.
“I want to do well for the citizens of Calvert County,” said Dawn Lister, a criminal justice teacher at Calvert High School.
“This is an opportunity to advocate on behalf of my community,” Leslie Parker stated.
Quentin Jones Jr. said he is a Department of Justice employee who is also a local pastor and member of the Maryland National Guard whose family has lived in Calvert since the 1700s.
“I want to preserve some of the legacy and integrity of the county,” Jones said.
Alphonso Hawkins, a county native with over four decades of law enforcement service, stated his aim is to “bridge the gap between the community and police. I know we are going to do the right thing.” Hawkins said. Of Calvert County, “it’s still country despite the traffic.”
Retired judge and semi-retired attorney Larry Lamson called Calvert, “just a wonderful place to live. I want to make sure the public has some faith in the system.”
Lamson is currently the only member of the trial board.
Stacey Stump, who is serving with Parran and Norman Dorn on the administrative charging committee, stated she is committed “to be very transparent for Calvert County citizens.”
Two more appointments to the administrative charging committee are pending.
Along the lines of transparency, Parran noted that the police accountability board has a website up and running and includes a link to a complaint form. Any complaint forms that are submitted would then go through a process for consideration.
Parran noted that since early July, the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office reported they had received three citizen complaints.
The police accountability board is fully staffed and members will receive stipends.
John Norris, county attorney, briefed the members on Maryland’s open meeting laws. The panel’s meetings will be open to the public.
At the end of the year, the board will be required to submit a report to the county commissioners and any recommended policy changes that the members feel would improve police accountability.
