Bill > SB178

This bill, known as the Maryland Police Accountability Act of 2021 - Search Warrants and Inspection of Records Relating to Police Misconduct (Anton's Law), has several key provisions: It requires that an application for a "no-knock" search warrant be approved in writing by a police supervisor and the State's Attorney, and that such warrants be executed between 8:00 am and 7:00 pm, unless exigent circumstances exist. The bill also sets out specific requirements for the contents of an application for a no-knock warrant. Additionally, it requires police officers executing search warrants to be clearly identifiable as police, wear body-worn cameras, and allow at least 20 seconds for occupants to respond before entering, absent exigent circumstances. The bill also addresses the public inspection of records related to investigations and disciplinary actions against police officers. It clarifies that such records are not considered "personnel records" and are generally subject to public inspection, with some exceptions to protect sensitive information. However, the bill does provide for inspection of these records by certain government officials. Finally, the bill requires law enforcement agencies to report annually on their use of no-knock warrants and other search warrant-related data to the Governor's Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services.