This morning, Berwyn Heights mayor Cheye Calvo and attorneys for Prince George’s County settled a lawsuit brought by the mayor against the county. The suit followed a 2008 incident in which a SWAT team raided the mayor’s home and killed his two dogs.
Details of the settlement are not yet available. However, Calvo said that the agreement “puts in place meaningful reforms for how law enforcement in the county will operate,” and that the reforms will “bring Prince George’s in line with the highest standards of law enforcement.”
According to Calvo, the settlement addressed many of the concerns he had with the deployment of SWAT teams in the county, as well as the protocol for warrant service and the treatment of animals by law enforcement. Calvo praised county executive Rushern Baker for his willingness to reassess the county’s practices.
“There’s a real struggle happening between the people who want best practices and transparent government, and the defenders of the status quo,” Calvo said. “It’s important that we don’t underestimate that latter group of people.”
The settlement will take a few weeks to finalize, and putting reforms in place could take several months.
“We hope that this is merely one piece of broader reform,” Calvo said.
Prince George’s County Settles SWAT Lawsuit
Agreement may broker policing reforms
This morning, Berwyn Heights mayor Cheye Calvo and attorneys for Prince George’s County settled a lawsuit brought by the mayor against the county. The suit followed a 2008 incident in which a SWAT team raided the mayor’s home and killed his two dogs.
Details of the settlement are not yet available. However, Calvo said that the agreement “puts in place meaningful reforms for how law enforcement in the county will operate,” and that the reforms will “bring Prince George’s in line with the highest standards of law enforcement.”
According to Calvo, the settlement addressed many of the concerns he had with the deployment of SWAT teams in the county, as well as the protocol for warrant service and the treatment of animals by law enforcement. Calvo praised county executive Rushern Baker for his willingness to reassess the county’s practices.
“There’s a real struggle happening between the people who want best practices and transparent government, and the defenders of the status quo,” Calvo said. “It’s important that we don’t underestimate that latter group of people.”
The settlement will take a few weeks to finalize, and putting reforms in place could take several months.
“We hope that this is merely one piece of broader reform,” Calvo said.
Subscribe to Washingtonian
Follow Washingtonian on Twitter
More>> Capital Comment Blog | News & Politics | Party Photos
Most Popular in News & Politics
What It Felt Like for a Virginia Marching Band to Win Metallica’s Contest
Meet the 2023 Washingtonians of the Year
What’s IN and OUT in DC Restaurant Trends for 2024
Introducing 8 of DC’s Most Stylish
Washingtonian Magazine
May 2024: Great Getaways
View IssueSubscribe
Follow Us on Social
Follow Us on Social
Related
13 Major Concerts and Music Festivals in the DC Area This Spring
Mary Timony on Her Emotional New Album, “Untame the Tiger”
The Beatles in DC: A New Exhibit in Maryland Looks Back on Early Beatlemania
Northern Virginia High School Wins Metallica’s Marching Band Competition
More from News & Politics
Former Fiola GM Convicted of Murder Is Now in a Netflix Docuseries
These 5 DC Traffic Cams Are Issuing the Most Tickets Right Now
Farewell to Crystal City Underground, the DC Area’s Strangest Mall
Washington DC’s 500 Most Influential People of 2024
Inside the Urgent Effort to Preserve Black Newspapers
Maryland Has Renamed an Invasive Fish. Will It Matter?
Meet the 2024 Washington Women in Journalism Award Winners
In the Doghouse: Kristi Noem and 5 Other Canine Political Scandals