In December, Police Chief Richard Bowers gave an update on Greenbelt Police Department’s compliance with Resolution 2096-2, passed by the Greenbelt City Council on January 10, 2022. Council’s resolution responded to public concern about police conduct, and incorporated revisions of the Fair and Just Policing Act first proposed to city council by then-mayor Colin Byrd in 2020. Greenbelt’s Public Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC) recommended 31 measures, of which 22 were passed as part of Resolution 2096-2. Most of the 22 items in the resolution were to be incorporated into the department’s General Orders (GO), which act as the rulebook guiding the police department and how it is run in day-to-day operations.
According to Item 15, city officials, including the city manager, city council and PSAC, must be notified of any changes to the General Orders, and that the department is in compliance with this Item. Bowers annotated a copy of Resolution 2096-2, showing how the General Orders were affected by each item of the Resolution and how the orders had been brought into compliance. Some General Orders have been changed to reflect the exact wording of the council’s Resolution. Bowers described 13 out of 22 items as “completed” or “ongoing,” and explained the status of the remaining items.
Mission Statement
In response to Resolution Item 20, Bowers indicated that the department has modified the GO100 Mission Statement to reflect “an emphasis on the guardian policing model to protect and serve,” stating, “The concepts of community policing are not defined in a single policy but as part of a number of strategies that include the Community Act Team and CIT.”
Regarding Item 22, Prince George’s County recently passed legislation to form a civilian oversight board, so Greenbelt is still in the process of remaining in compliance with laws covering police accountability. The city has hired a diversity officer to help improve the department’s diversity, the subject of Item 16.
De-escalation
Several items in the resolution (Items 1, 2, 3, 17 and 21) concern de-escalation and use of reasonable force. Item 3 describes software that the department uses to identify officers likely to use excessive force, so they can be retrained, counseled or reassigned. In Item 17, council expressed concern over the influence of conscious and unconscious bias in policing and required continued training in de-escalation. “This is a continual process and is part of the in-service year,” Bowers stated. “Training for 2022 has included de-escalation as part of in-service, taser and firearms training.” While Item 21 stipulates that Greenbelt should participate in national databases on police decertification and/or use of force, no such database exists at this time.
In compliance with Item 4, GO202 states zero tolerance for retaliation against a whistleblower.
Maryland state law now limits no-knock warrants. Resolution Items 5 and 6 limit no-knock warrants only to situations when “required for the preservation of life.” Upon forced entry, officers must “loudly and clearly identify themselves as police officers.”
SROs
Resolution Items 7 and 8 concern School Resource Officers (SRO) and juvenile interrogation and arrest. GO105 requires that “all interrogations/interviews shall be conducted fairly, impartial, in an objective manner,” including those with an SRO. Council asked for data on juvenile arrests, including the race, gender, charges and whether the arrest was made by the SRO. Bowers stated that these reports were completed, except for dates prior to 2020, due to an outdated record management system.
In response to Item 10, GO202 states, “officers are prohibited from preventing civilians from recording police-civilian interactions as long as the person recording the interaction is acting lawfully and safely.”
Police Misconduct
Items 11, 12 and 14 concern transparency about police misconduct even when allegations are deemed “baseless,” but in practice, internal investigation findings are labelled as Exonerated (the conduct did occur but was proper); Not Sustained (insufficient evidence to support the allegation); Sustained (evidence supports the allegation); or Unfounded (the alleged acts did not occur). GO635 will redefine a “complaint” so all concerns can be documented. Bowers reports there have been no settlements resulting from police misconduct.
Item 13 concerns the proper operation of body cameras. This issue is not resolved, as GO202 is still being re-written.
Stopped, Not Charged
Items 18 and 19 refer to the aftermath of being stopped by police. The annual Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies report includes data on traffic stop outcomes. Bowers stated that when individuals are stopped but not charged with a criminal violation, photos taken during the field interview are stored in evidence.com and purged after 12 months; the department maintains a written record.
Full compliance with Resolution 2096-2 was delayed, because the police department acted on a different version of the resolution than the one that was passed by council, leading to discrepancies discovered when the PSAC compared the new General Orders with the Resolution.