WASHINGTON INFORMER: Earlier this year, Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D) announced a new Inspector General and Director of the Office of Integrity, Compliance, and Police Accountability: Anthony C. Bennett. With the county having faced numerous incidents of police misconduct, ranging from discrimination in hiring to blatant police brutality, Bennett has a large undertaking. Bennett’s office is considered the main source of accountability for county residents.
“We are excited to welcome Mr. Bennett to Prince George’s as the new Inspector General and Director of the Office of Integrity, Compliance, and Police Accountability,” said Alsobrooks in a press release. “With Mr. Bennett’s background, knowledge, and expertise, we are confident that he will ensure our public safety agencies operate with the highest level of transparency and accountability. We remain committed to providing strong and effective oversight of our public safety personnel as they work hard to keep Prince Georgians safe.”
The Office of Integrity, Compliance, and Police Accountability works to provide transparency and oversight of the operations of Prince George’s County’s public safety agencies. The Maryland Police Accountability Act of 2021 implemented various police reforms by jurisdictions across Maryland, requiring Prince George’s County to establish the Office of Integrity, Compliance and Police Accountability under the Office of the County Executive, where the Inspector General serves as the Director.
Bennett previously served as the Deputy Inspector General for the City of Atlanta, Georgia and as Manager of Investigations and the Accreditation Manager for the Palm Beach County Office of Inspector General in Palm Beach County, Florida from 2019 to 2021. He spent 16 years with the Broward County Sheriff’s Office in Broward County, Florida and served in the United States Army during the Gulf War.
“I truly applaud County Executive Alsobrooks and her leadership on the County’s police reform efforts,” said Bennett. “This shows that the County has committed the necessary time and resources to ensure that transparency, accountability, and oversight become the pillars of police reform across Prince George’s County. I am honored and excited to be at the precipice of this mandate and will be working diligently to engage our communities, our elected and appointed officials, and our law enforcement partners as the Office of Integrity, Compliance, and Police Accountability establishes and upholds the highest of policing oversight standards.”
Bennett is also a member of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), National Honor Society of Criminal Justice, National Honor Society of Public Administration, and American Jail Association.
The inspector general was previously housed within the Prince George’s County Police Department.
In July 2020, County Executive Alsobrooks established the Prince George’s County Police Reform Work Group, which was tasked with providing a comprehensive operations and policy review of the Prince George’s County Police Department to develop recommendations to help guide the County’s police reform efforts. One of the recommendations was to create an Office of Integrity and Compliance under the Office of the County Executive, with an inspector general serving as the director.
Bladensburg Council member Jocelyn Route (D) wants an active partner in this role. “I want the person in this position to partner with municipal chiefs of police. Oftentimes, municipalities are left out of the work that is conducted in the state and in the county,” she said.
