Subject
title
Authorize the City Manager to enter into a Memorandum of Agreement with the Maryland Transportation Authority Police (MDTA Police) granting jurisdictional authority in the City of Rockville.
end
Department
Police
Recommendation
Staff recommends the Mayor and Council authorize the City Manager to enter into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Maryland Transportation Authority Police granting jurisdictional authority in the City of Rockville to increase the capabilities of the Rockville City Police Department.
Change in Law or Policy
None
Discussion
The Maryland Transportation Authority Police (MDTA Police) is a police agency of the State of Maryland that has primary law enforcement jurisdiction on property owned, leased or operated by the Maryland Transportation Authority, the Maryland Aviation Administration and the Maryland Port Administration, some of which are in Montgomery County, Maryland. The MDTA Police operate in Montgomery County from a location near the City of Rockville. MDTA police officers operate in and around the City of Rockville during their assigned duties. MDTA police officers have full police powers and are certified by the State of Maryland.
The MDTA Police Department is a robust law enforcement agency that can provide additional personnel, training and specialized resources to the Rockville City Police Department upon request. MDTA police officers may exercise police powers in the City of Rockville upon request and permission of the Chief Executive Officer or the Chief of Police. Requests for assistance from the MDTA Police have historically been made on a case-by-case basis. The assistance provided has been limited to community engagement activities and the City of Rockville’s Independence Day celebration. The Rockville City Police Department plans to include MDTA Police in all future traffic safety initiatives as part of the Vision Zero strategy.
The Rockville City Police Department increased collaboration with MDTA Police at the end of 2024 and has determined a formal Memorandum of Agreement granting the Maryland Transportation Authority Police full law enforcement jurisdiction in the City of Rockville is in the best interest of the City of Rockville. Formalizing the coordination of law enforcement services between the Rockville City Police Department and the Maryland Transportation Authority Police by way of an agreement will enhance law enforcement services in the City of Rockville and the capabilities of the Rockville City Police Department.
Mayor and Council History
A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with MDTA Police has never come before the Mayor and Council.
Fiscal Impact
None
Next Steps
Upon Mayor and Council approval, the City Manager will enter into an agreement with the Maryland Transportation Authority Police granting that agency law enforcement jurisdiction in the City of Rockville.