On August 12, REPS Task Force Chair, Lisa Henderson, and member, Beth Tomasello, met via Zoom with Councilmember-At-Large Will Jawando and his Chief of Staff, Cecily Thorne. Councilmember Jawando reviewed the provisions of County Council Bill 27-20E (which he sponsored) to discuss how the provisions addressed the #8CANTWAIT use-of-force policing reforms which the REPS Task Force has endorsed as first steps in reinventing County policing. Councilmember Jawando also discussed future legislation needed to address transparency, training, and accountability in County policing, including the need for comprehensive data collection on racial disparities in policing. The County only collects information on traffic stops; however, that data clearly show a great disparity in the number of stops directed at Black men and men of color.
At the recommendation of the REPS Task Force, WDC signed on to two letters sponsored by statewide advocacy groups. The first letter, prepared by Out for Justice and the Jobs Opportunity Task Force, was directed to Administrator Linda Lamone and the Members of the State Board of Elections demanding that incarcerated citizens who are eligible to vote in the November election are given the opportunity to do so safely. The second letter, prepared by the Maryland ACLU, sets out parameters for policing reforms that the ACLU and the co-signing organizations want to see in any upcoming legislation proposed by the Maryland General Assembly. WDC also co-sponsored a webinar hosted by Takoma Park Mobilization with representatives of the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth (CFSY), an organization dedicated to abolishing sentences of life without parole for juveniles (JWLOP). WDC has worked with CFSY for several years to end JWLOP in Maryland, and we look forward to continuing that work this legislative session.