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Maryland Lawmakers Consider Tightening Police Accountability

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ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Maryland lawmakers are scheduled to hold a hearing on a measure to increase police accountability.

The bill scheduled for a hearing Tuesday is a product of a workgroup. It was created by lawmakers after unrest in Baltimore from Freddie Gray's death in police custody.

Some proposed changes apply to a law known as the Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights. For example, the bill would extend the time residents can file a complaint against police from 90 days to a year.

Another change would limit the time a police officer can take to retain an attorney for internal investigations from 10 days to five.

Critics say the bill needs more work. They say some provisions actually give police even more power and control over internal investigations than they already have.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.