Montgomery County’s Advisory Commission on Policing approved a letter urging the incoming county executive to take care in choosing a new police chief, and voted to form an ad hoc subcommittee to examine how license plate reader data is shared. The commission acted on both items at its meeting Monday, Nov. 9.
Police Chief Search Letter
The letter is addressed to the county executive-elect and focuses on how the next chief is chosen. Commission member Eva Quittman, who led the meeting, said the previous chief stepped down after about two and a half years and had been chosen through a brief process with little public input. With the chief search overlapping a change in county administration, she said the commission wants the executive to be deliberate.
The letter lists qualifications it hopes the executive will emphasize, including education in public administration or criminal justice, leadership training, concrete strategies for better public safety outcomes and a commitment to integrating the police department with county government. It also cites mastery of modern policing strategies, experience with a large budget and commitment to racial justice and community policing. Commissioners approved it as written.
Community Policing Definition
Commissioners voted to adopt a U.S. Department of Justice document defining community policing as the commission’s own definition, and to post a link to it on the commission’s resources page. Francisco Javier González, who presented the motion, said members had found no clear definition during their discussions.
A second motion urges the next commission to build on that work and develop a framework for how community policing can help the county. Commissioner Cherri Branson said she wanted the language to be more explicit about the different communities involved. After discussion, the motion was amended to say the framework could cover different policing contexts and the demographic communities outlined in the commission’s 2026 work plan, and it carried.
License Plate Reader Data
The commission reviewed a policy from the Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center on automated license plate reader data. Quittman summarized the policy. Historical data is stored for 365 days and then deleted. The data is not public and is released for legitimate law enforcement purposes on request from law enforcement, homeland security or public safety agencies, which can include federal agencies. The center also keeps a hot list of plates and retains audit records for three years, and it may not use vehicle recognition systems until Maryland law addresses permissible uses.
Commissioners said they want clearer limits, safeguards and transparency. González said continuous camera coverage could reveal an individual’s movements over a year and that requests for data should be specific. Quittman said terms such as crime and legitimate law enforcement purpose are vague and set no threshold for seriousness. Branson asked how plates are removed from the hot list.
A police department representative, Gerald McFarland, said the commission cannot question the center’s policy, but could weigh in on whether the department should share its limited tag reads. Quittman suggested a letter to the Attorney General’s office asking for clarity. González moved to form an ad hoc subcommittee on the issue, Branson seconded, and the voice vote passed with no opposition heard. Quittman, González and Branson volunteered to serve.
Reports Headed to the Council
Commissioners also approved two reports for transmittal to the County Council: the Compliance and Police Reform Subcommittee’s report on implementation of the Maryland Police Accountability Act, which Quittman said took about a year and a half, and the Strategic Planning Committee’s report on the police department’s strategic plan. They approved procedures for responding to public comments submitted through the commission’s website, along with a motion to explain the process on the site.
What’s Next
The commission meets next on Dec. 14. Members plan to divide remaining work into groups and make progress before then, and the new subcommittee is expected to start examining the license plate reader policy.
