By Adam Pagnucco.
Earlier today, I asked if the movement to end police traffic stops was dead in Montgomery County. I concluded that that depends on the fate of Council Member Will Jawando’s Freedom to Leave Act, a stripped-down version of prior anti-traffic stop legislation that would prohibit police from obtaining consent searches of vehicles. A top executive branch official has now commented on both issues on X.
Earl Stoddard is an assistant chief administrative officer in Montgomery County government, a senior manager whose portfolio includes public safety. This morning, Stoddard reposted my article and wrote:
We need more traffic enforcement focused on the 3 biggest issues contributing to serious and fatal collisions: speed, driving under the influence, and distracted driving. The reductions in police enforcement over the last few years have been principally driven by officer deficits. Officers spend so much time running from call to call that there is less time posted up on our High Injury Network looking for violations. While we continue to work to recruit more officers, we also are advocating with our state legislature to expand use of automated enforcement along that High Injury Network. We know where people are getting hurt/killed & should be permitted to make those safer even as we staff up.
I asked Stoddard, “So is it fair to say that your administration supports both officer traffic enforcement and automated enforcement?” He replied, “Yes.”
I then asked him, “And does the administration have a position on the Freedom to Leave Act?” Stoddard answered, “The CE’s position is that he believes consent searches should still be a tool in the toolbox so long as they are done in a Constitutional manner with appropriate documentation and oversight. @mcpnews is working through its standard policy review and modification process, which includes review by @MCLodge35, to improve the clarity of consent procedures, create a more standard review process, & data collection.”
Given County Executive Marc Elrich’s record, this is newsworthy. Elrich is a long-time Democratic Socialist who once cut 29.5 full-time equivalent positions from the police budget, removed police officers from schools (while later allowing them back in) and feuded with Governor Larry Hogan about the presence of a thin blue line flag in a police station. He is no Bull Connor. But despite his 2022 support for removing police from all or some traffic enforcement, Elrich’s administration embraces officer traffic stops along with cameras in pursuing traffic and pedestrian safety. And now according to one of his top public officials, he supports consent searches as well.
I have been told that the county council’s Public Safety Committee will hold a work session on the Freedom to Leave Act next month. The committee’s members are Sidney Katz (chair), Dawn Luedtke and Kristin Mink, the latter of whom cosponsored an earlier Jawando anti-traffic stop bill. Given the administration’s position as well as opposition to Jawando’s bill by the police union and MCGEO, this council committee session will make for interesting viewing.