WASHINGTON 鈥� Montgomery County Police are looking at new ways to hold their own officers accountable when a police shooting happens.
In a hearing before the Montgomery County Council, Police Chief Thomas Manger told the council members that his department, like the Montgomery County State鈥檚 Attorney鈥檚 Office, is looking at having agencies from outside the county investigate shootings involving police. Prosecutors in Montgomery and Howard counties recently announced an agreement in which they will聽swap cases of police shootings to increase transparency and avoid the appearance of favoritism or bias.
鈥淲e鈥檙e in discussions right now as well about how we鈥檙e going to handle our next police-involved shooting, our next in-custody death,鈥� Manger told the council.
Manger said he couldn鈥檛 be specific. 鈥淚鈥檓 intentionally being vague about this because it involves other jurisdictions, other people,鈥� and the discussions are ongoing.
Manger said his department is clear on the need for increased transparency. He also announced to the council that the body camera pilot project has already begun. In all, 100 police officers and executive staff will be outfitted with body cameras. Manger says 20 executive staff members have already volunteered
鈥淚鈥檓 one of the 20,鈥� he added.
Manger said in an age when everyone has a cellphone with a camera, his police have had to get used to being observed 鈥� and recorded.
鈥淲hen the handcuffs come out, you see three or four people with their cameras up and you know, my cops 鈥� they take it in stride,鈥� Manger said.
During the hearing, Manger鈥檚 department got praise from council members for being forward-thinking and for the recent indictments in a federal case that targeted the Bel Pre area of Silver Spring. Council member Nancy Navarro called it an 鈥渆xtraordinary operation鈥� that made the Bel Pre corridor safer. But there were also some criticisms that came up, one being a lack of diversity on the police force.
Council member Craig Rice told Manger when it comes to recruitment, 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just enough to say well, we鈥檙e trying,鈥� because, 鈥淚f there鈥檚 not a diversification in the workforce, then it certainly leads to a continued disconnection when it comes to our communities.鈥�
Manger responded, 鈥淲ell, you鈥檙e right, if I were just saying 鈥業鈥檓 trying鈥� and I wasn鈥檛 making any progress, that鈥檚 one thing, but I鈥檓 saying 鈥榳e鈥檙e trying and we are making progress.鈥欌��
Police say one of the issues they still face in recruiting minority candidates is the pay. In Montgomery County, the police department requires applicants to have a college education. Assistant Chief of Police Betsy Davis, who used to head the personnel department, says many college educated minority candidates would opt for higher paying private sector jobs.
She told Rice, 鈥淚 need your help 鈥� my message to every Latino kid or every African American kid especially if they can speak a second language is: 鈥榊ou can write your ticket to any type of job.鈥欌��
Manger told Rice and the council that training is also a vital tool for fostering better community relations and avoiding bias in policing. Looking at the case of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, the Cleveland boy who was shot to death by police who believed he had a gun, Manger asked, 鈥淲as it necessary? Could it have been avoided?鈥�
Manger talked about the need for police to give themselves time and space before racing into a situation and talked about, 鈥淣ot creating that moment where something has to happen.鈥�
Davis said the training in de-escalation that takes place in the Montgomery County Police Department was invaluable as she led a team of officers into patrolling in Baltimore City during the recent riots.
鈥淵ou know, you鈥檙e getting rocks, you鈥檙e getting pelted.鈥� She said her officers used 鈥済reat restraint鈥� and that, she insists, gave her police the confidence to handle the situation without escalating the violence.
Davis said her officers, including her African American officers 鈥渨ere getting called every name in the book鈥� by angry protesters, but she added officers are trained to remember that protesting is a constitutional right and people will vent in ways that aren鈥檛 polite.
鈥淲e鈥檙e trained to take it, we鈥檙e trained to listen to it,鈥� she said.
草莓传媒’s Kate Ryan contributed to this report.聽
