Montgomery Community Media

County Executive Marc Elrich on Wednesday said he hopes to work with the county council to come to a solution regarding a proposed COVID-19 vaccine mandate for county employees, without jeopardizing public safety operations – a concern shared by public safety leaders. “I took an oath to protect the health, safety and welfare of the […]

Twenty-six years of honoring the Upcounty’s finest continued despite the coronavirus pandemic. The Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce (GGCC) honored fifty-eight Upcounty Police Officers and Public Safety Emergency Communications Specialists at their 26th Annual Public Safety Awards on Friday, July 30, 2021. This event honors the public safety personnel and first responders from Montgomery County Upcounty’s […]

Montgomery County leaders and public safety officials joined residents at neighborhood events Tuesday for National Night Out. The annual event is meant for police to connect with residents and for leaders to encourage community relationships with law enforcement. Residents could also learn about crime prevention and other safety information or about county resources like COVID-19 […]

Montgomery County leaders launched a new public safety radio system to improve communications and save lives. The emergency radio system lets the 911 call center communicate with police, fire and rescue service and other public safety departments. The new Motorola ASTRO 25 system provides enhanced radio coverage in areas like the Potomac River, the Triadelphia […]

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich will discuss a recently-released preliminary audit report of the county police department (MCPD) during a virtual community forum at 6 p.m. Wednesday. Elrich will discuss recommendations from the report, released June 30, as well as other reimagining public safety implementation updates. He commissioned the independent audit as part of the […]

Montgomery County is under another Hyperthermia Alert today from noon to 7 p.m. When temperatures and/or the heat index are projected to reach 95 degrees or higher,  the county issues an alert. The Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security lists the following precautions to help residents stay safe: stay indoors when possible […]

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputy who shot and killed a Laytonsville man, who multiple witnesses said was acting erratically and struck the deputy with a long piece of wood, acted reasonably and will not be charged, according to Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office. That office reviewed the incident under an agreement to take the lead […]

During a joint committee meeting Wednesday, Montgomery County councilmembers and police officials discussed a recent Office of Legislative Oversight (OLO) report analyzing the county’s public safety response to mental health situations. The OLO works to provide independent findings and recommendations to the council and made two recommendations in the report: “request that the Executive discuss […]

In 2019, multiple emergency radio channels dropped over Mother’s Day weekend in Montgomery County, hindering public safety communication. Now, the county is preparing to switch over to a new system. The shift to a new emergency radio system will happen in three phases, beginning Jan. 4, 2021, said Gerry Adcock, Public Safety Radio Communication Systems […]

Montgomery County’s Reimagining Public Safety Task Force will break up much of its work into five categories before presenting recommendations next year. In late June, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich announced he was creating the task force. Members will discuss racism in policing and examine how to fix policies that impact certain groups disproportionately in […]