SMART Policing Act Passes In Baltimore County

BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD — This week the Baltimore County Council passed the SMART Policing Act.

While the county executive and council members celebrated its passage as progress toward creating a more just county, several advocacy groups representing various parts of the community said they did not think it went far enough.

The bill passed by a vote of 6 to 1, with the dissenting vote coming from Councilman Todd Crandell.

Councilman Julian Jones formally introduced the SMART Policing Act at the Baltimore County Council Meeting Tuesday, Sept. 8. The SMART Policing Act stands for Strengthening Modernization, Accountability, Reform and Transparency.

The act passed Monday, Oct. 5, during the council's legislative session.

"I would like to thank and express my gratitude to the citizens of Baltimore County who made their voices heard through peaceful protest, verbal and written testimony, letters of support and ongoing advocacy for this much needed legislation!" Jones said in a statement to his constituents Wednesday morning.

As a result of the bill, the Baltimore County Police Department must document excessive uses of force in a database that includes demographic information, plus take other measures to ensure accountability.

The bill bans the use of all neck restraints, including chokeholds, unless a person's life is in immediate jeopardy; requires annual training in de-escalation, implicit bias and the use of force; and mandates officers stop fellow police from using excessive force, among other measures.

"We still have more work to do and I look forward to continuing to fight for what the citizens of Baltimore County are demanding," Jones said.

County Executive Johnny Olzsewski Jr. called passage of the SMART Policing Act a "critical — and united — next step toward equal justice" that will make the police department and Baltimore County "better for everyone."

"I’m grateful to my colleagues on the County Council for ensuring bipartisan progress in meeting the challenge that this moment demands," Olszewski said.

One councilman announced before the meeting that he was going to vote against it.

"To have BCPD cast as an agency somehow in need of reform is an insult to them, and I believe police work is difficult enough without politicians' unwarranted interference," Crandell said in a statement.

From 2010 to 2019, Crandell said there were about 6 million calls for service in Baltimore County and more than 265,000 arrests, including 1.1 percent that included uses of force.

"This does not sound like a police department in need of reform," Crandell said, "but one that should be honored."

Since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on Memorial Day, protests have swept the nation, with calls for increased accountability within police departments or an end to police altogether.

Dozens of citizens spent hours testifying about the police reform bill in Baltimore County, and some said they did not feel their input was reflected in the legislation that passed.

A group of community activists penned a letter saying they were "dismayed to see the Baltimore County Council pass a bill that didn’t address the central demands of the public for police accountability and transparency," stating they were concerned about the number of officer-involved civilian deaths.

The bill was "merely a symbolic gesture by politicians that leaves out mechanisms that would allow some beginnings of transparency and accountability for our police," Noureen Badwi, 17, chair of Baltimore County Youth Speaks, said in a statement. "That happened because important stakeholders were left out of this so-called compromise — us, the community."

Badwi joined community advocates from Jews United for Justice and Baltimore Women United in signing a letter of disappointment following the bill's passage, noting these items they wanted to be incorporated:

• Trained civilians be appointed by the chief to serve on police disciplinary hearing boards as voting members, not passive observers.
• Whistleblower protections be extended to officers reporting all misconduct, not just for excessive-use-of-force violations.

“These amendments were reasonable and modest by any measure,” Claire Landers of Jews United for Justice said in a statement.

“Those amendments were the voice of the people of Baltimore County,” Jessica Klaitman of Baltimore Women United said in a statement. "It was disregarded by the people we elected to serve the public’s interests."

See Also: 'SMART' Police Reform Bill To Be Introduced In Baltimore County