PG County

PRINCE in deploying deadly force.” “I reached out to Dr. Powers awhile a go because we felt that was very imGEORGE'S COUNTY portant…to have an independent eye on those cases to provide a neutral report,” said State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy. “It is really important that I exercise that independence…and that’s what we’re doing. “My office has a huge responsibility. We must ensure the public trust our decisions,” Braveboy said. She acknowledged the police department has a negative reputation Police Reform Continues among some residents and those outside the county and remains conin Prince George’s County cerned about bringing indictments against police officers. “Every time we have to indict an ofBy William J. Ford However, a grand jury ruled a few ficer, we know that erodes the public WI Staff Writer @jabariwill days before those cases the police-involved shooting death on Sept. 26, trust,” said Braveboy, who grew up in Prince George’s. “We have a duty and 5 A grand jury indicted two Prince George’s County police officers Sept. 10. (File photo: William J. Ford/The Washington Informer) 2019, of Leonard Shand, 26, “was responsibility not only to apply the

Since Prince George’s County objectively reasonable.” In addition, facts to the law and render decisions, ing firm called The Powers Consulting ordination, consistency in response, State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy was the grand jury didn’t indict any of the but also to educate, inform and be Group of Baltimore, has assessed othconsistency in training and interdesworn-in to office in January 2019, at nearly 12 officers involved. transparent with our public.” er police-involved incidents throughpartmental communication; least 12 county and municipal police Tyrone Powers, a former Maryland For instance, her office recently out the state. • Review policies for deploying less officers have been indicted for assault, state trooper and FBI agent, wrote a began Fourth Amendment training He provided recommendations to lethal technology; and reckless endangerment and other ofnearly 40-page report for the state’s police officers. Later this year, sessions enhance the Prince George’s police • Supply and require body cameras fenses. attorney office to help examine the will assess the Fifth Amendment, department. Suggested recommendafor all police agencies in the county.

A grand jury indicted two more ofcase by looking at video footage, readde-escalation, use of force and public tions include include: Powers said an interview Thursday ficers, Bryant Strong and Luis Aponing police documents and analyze the integrity open to all law enforcement • Establish a Safety Fusion Centhe department should enhance its te, on Thursday, Sept. 10 for various county’s use-of-force procedures. He agencies in the county. ter where cases from various county mobile crisis unit that connects with charges in two separate cases. concluded “the officers were justified As for Powers, who runs a consultpolice agencies are reviewed for comental health professionals. In the Shand case, he said only one or two Diversity Underscores Final Push for Census Count in County voices were needed to communicate with Shand to help calm him down. He said the number of people withSpanish-Speaking Help Secured at 11th Hour addition to helping determine the state’s representation in Congress. in a mobile crisis unit depends on a jurisdiction’s population and number

By William J. Ford information table along a sidewalk The participation for Maryland resof incidents not only dealing with po

WI Staff Writer and greeted residents who either idents means federal aid of slightly lice, but also fire emergencies and on a @jabariwill walked to the table or came out of more than $18,000 per person over college campus. nearby buildings. the next decade. “The training dictates that you

Christopher Paul Johnson of Besides Kent Village, Ivey and ChThis year’s census allows residents should have one voice, or someone

Landover can’t wait to vote so can everly Mayor Laila Riazi distributed to fill out forms online. from the mobile crisis unit,” he said. make sure the elected officials he census and voter information outThe virus known as COVID-19 “When you are experiencing someone chooses will provide employment side Cheverly Gardens apartments. has limited large community gathin a crisis and dealing with anxiety. opportunities for those formally With some of the highest number erings, so county and municipal We are going to increasingly deal with incarcerated such as himself. of residential units in the District officials and community organizers people with mental health issues.”

However, he didn’t know about 5 area, Cheverly Gardens and Kent have given out information at food Meanwhile, current and former the 2020 U.S. Census. Village recorded lower than expectdistribution events. Prince George’s police officers in

Monica Young gave Johnson a ed census counts in 2010. By law the census count must volved in a 2018 lawsuit against the census door hanger and encour“I don’t think everybody makes be completed and delivered to the department and county sent a letter aged him to fill out the form onthe connection of filling out the cenpresident by Dec. 31, but the actual to a police reform task force created by line. sus and what you see around you,” data collection deadline remains in 5 Nikki Greco, constituent services diCounty Executive Angela Alsobrooks.

“This is how you fill it out. It Ivey said. “Do you have adequate limbo. rector for Prince George’s County Council According to the letter dated Thurstakes 10 minutes. It’s very simple,” public transportation? Do you have A U.S. District judge in San Jose, member Jolene Ivey, prepares to place a day from the United Black Police Of

Johnson, chief of staff for Prince great health care in your area? All the Calif. issued a temporary restraining census door hanger on a townhouse in ficers and Hispanic National Law En

George’s County Council memthings that make your life better are order blocking the Census Bureau Landover on Sept. 12. (William J. Ford/ forcement associations, it suggests any ber Jolene Ivey (D-District 5) of funded, in large part, through federfrom ending its operations until a The Washington Informer) data received from the county should

Cheverly, said Saturday, Sept. 12. al money that comes to your comcourt hearing Thursday, Sept. 17. be met with skepticism.

Because of the coronavirus munity.” A lawsuit filed by coalition of citof Oct. 31 to complete the count. This remains based on a 94-page pandemic, Young and three other Census data helps determine ies and civil rights groups contend As of Friday, Sept. 11, Maryland report from Michael E. Graham, a members of Ivey’s staff couldn’t how to distribute an estimated $1.5 the bureau ending the count by joins nine other states with at least former 33-year veteran Los Angeles knock on doors inside buildings at trillion in federal dollars from the Sept. 30 would undercount minoria 70 percent self-response rate. That County Sheriff Department who de

Kent Village in Landover. county held every 10 years toward ty communities. The suit demands termined the white officers with the

They set up a census and voter Medicaid schools and housing in the bureau use the previous deadline CENSUS Page 27 REFORM Page 26

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY

Statewide Push Continues for Maryland’s Incarcerated Residents

By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill

The Maryland Board of Elections should secure collection boxes to all jails and prisons in the state’s 24 jurisdictions to ensure completed voter forms and ballots are safely secured.

The board should request local election boards add a non-partisan voter hotline provided by Out For Justice, an advocacy organization based in Baltimore led by former incarcerated individuals.

Voting instructions, mail-in ballot applications and other information should be sent to local jails and state prisons by Friday, Sept. 18.

These recommendations come from at least eight advocacy groups to make sure those incarcerated participate in the Nov. 3 general election. A formal announcement on an initiative called “Expand the Ballot, Expand the Vote” got discussed Monday, Sept. 14 during a virtual press conference.

“We pushed to make sure the state Board of Elections understood that the right for people in prisons and jails was a priority for us,” said Nicole Hanson-Mundell, executive director of Out for Justice who’s helping to lead the statewide voting plan. “We all know that COVID changed our lives. Because of COVID, we were not able to fill in those gaps.”

Hanson-Mundell said an estimated 7,000 eligible people behind bars could be affected.

There’s been a nationwide effort to ensure ex-felons, referred to as returning citizens, to regain their voting rights. In some states such as Maryland, make sure those incarcerated who are eligible to vote have access to the ballot.

“This is a bipartisan effort. This is an effort that affects every citizen of the United States,” said Monica Cooper, executive director of Maryland Justice Project and former incarcerated citizen. “It doesn’t matter your party affiliation. As a citizen of this country, you’re preserved the right the vote and nobody should ever take that away from you.”

Those who aren’t eligible to vote in Maryland fall in two categories: people with a current felony conviction and anyone convicted of buying or selling votes.

Incarcerated individuals with misdemeanor offenses and those held on pretrial status are eligible to vote.

A first-time joint effort led by Out for Justice continues to compile lists of eligible voters from most county jails and send them to the state Board of Elections. The state will count each person and mail off a cover explaining voter eligibility, a mail-in ballot application and a self-addressed stamped envelope.

As of Monday, officials from six counties responded.

Prince George’s County hasn’t been one of them.

The county’s state’s attorney office continues to work on an initiative known as “Operation Protect the Vote for All” to assess and determine eligible voters with the county De

partment of Corrections and state Board of Elections.

Advocates on the press call didn’t know about the state’s attorney plan until asked by a reporter.

“We are in a movement, not a moment,” said Qiana Johnson, executive director of Life After Release in Prince George’s that assists returning citizens. “We are not here for the performative stunts of elected officials. For this to be sustainable, we need to have folks who are directly impacted leading this actual movement. We have not heard about this operation and we welcome the state’s attorney office to reach out to us.”

WI

2020 Presidential General Election

ARE YOU REGISTERED?

To be eligible to vote, you must register or update your voter registration information by Tuesday, October 13.

Tuesday, November 3, 2020 STAY SAFE. VOTE-BY-MAIL.

Step 1:

REQUEST A BALLOT - MUST BE RECEIVED BY OCTOBER 20

To vote-by-mail in the 2020 Presidential General Election you must request a ballot. Your ballot request must be received by October 20.

Step 2:

LOOK OUT FOR YOUR BALLOT

You can track your ballot application status online. Ballots will begin arriving in early October. Step 3:

COMPLETE YOUR BALLOT & SIGN THE ENVELOPE

Follow the instructions.

Step 4:

RETURN YOUR BALLOT BY NOVEMBER 3

Return your completed ballot to an official election drop

box by 8pm on November 3

or postmark by November 3.

or vote in-person

EARLY VOTING October 26–November 2

7am–8pm

ELECTION DAY November 3

7am–8pm

Learn more about registering, requesting a ballot, or in-person voting options at

ELECTIONS.MARYLAND.GOV/2020