Caroline County police oversight board votes to let sheriff, police chief advise on applicant interviews in closed session

Caroline County — The Police Accountability Board voted June 1 to permit the county sheriff and the Denton police chief to enter a closed session after interviews of Administrative Charging Committee (ACC) applicants to provide input and flag potential conflicts of interest, then leave before the board deliberated and voted.

The board’s motion, made by Marty Hudson and approved by voice vote, directed staff to invite the sheriff and Denton’s chief to a closed session after the interview rounds conclude so they can identify any “red flags” without participating in the board’s final selection. The board set interview dates for June 8 and June 15 and agreed to schedule a separate closed session to finalize appointments.

The proposal prompted debate about transparency and potential conflicts. One board member argued the ACC selection should reflect community preferences and not be driven by law enforcement, while supporters said law enforcement could serve as a resource to identify factual concerns in applicants’ backgrounds.

"It is not against the law for you to do it," Stuart Barrett, the board’s attorney, told members when asked about legal limits on law-enforcement participation. Barrett characterized the question as one of policy rather than illegality and said allowing law enforcement to offer observations in closed session would not, by itself, violate the statutory restrictions discussed in the meeting.

Sheriff Donald Baker said law enforcement did not seek to pick members but wanted to provide practical information: "We're only here for, you know, if you guys have questions, concerns, or if there's some glaring issue that we see." He emphasized the sheriff’s office would not vote on appointments.

Members settled on a process to narrow candidates through interviews, then invite law enforcement into a confidential session to raise concerns. The board also agreed to schedule another meeting to finalize appointments and to keep law enforcement out of the room during any formal vote.

Next steps: Interview nights are set for June 8 (6:30 p.m.) and June 15 (6 p.m.), with a closed-session meeting to be scheduled to conclude the appointment process.