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ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Maryland's House Judiciary Committee heard testimony from Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo and other citizens on legislation to provide oversight for SWAT team deployments.

During the summer of 2008, police raided Calvo's home and killed his dogs after drug smugglers sent a package containing 32 pounds of marijuana to his residence.

"My family and I were terrorized," said Calvo. He was one of many that told their stories, urging the delegates to vote in favor of the bill.

The bill calls for more oversight and transparency during SWAT team deployments. "By creating oversight and shining some light on these practices, I think that creates a powerful incentive for law enforcement to exercise better judgment when they decide to send these troops into our communities," said Calvo.

The bill would require police departments to not only report the number of SWAT team deployments, but also the purpose and location. "It will hopefully require them to report to someone, cause what they're doing right now is going unreported and its wrong," said Montgomery County (web | news) resident Sylriel Peters.

Some members of law enforcement say they're not opposed to oversight, but call the bill redundant. "All of the documentation required as a result of this bill is completed. The who, what, why, when, where is already documented in incident reports by every SWAT team in the state of Maryland," said one law enforcement member.

Committee members said they would like to see those documents. For the citizens like Calvo who say their houses were wrongly raided, they just say they would like to see this bill become law.

"We're never going to be the same, but our hope is that we can make some changes that prevent other people from having to suffer in the future," said Calvo.

Maryland Senators have already approved the bill.

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