Subject
title
Public Safety
end
Department
Police
Recommendation
N/A
Discussion
The Rockville City Police Department maintains a staff of both sworn personnel (law enforcement officers) and professional staff who support the mission of the police department by handling many services for the community that do not require a sworn officer. The non-sworn positions include police communication operators (dispatchers), parking enforcement officers, neighborhood services officers (animal control) and the administrative support staff. The department was granted two new professional staff positions the FY26 budget, which have allowed the police department to better serve the community with improved efficiency and quality.
The department added two important positions for our sworn personnel. These positions were developed through internal promotions of existing staff. The department now has a designated Training Sergeant. The Training Sergeant oversees the management and organization of all mandatory training sworn officers must complete from year to year for the purpose of Maryland certification. This includes the keeping of training records and onboarding newly hired officers. The Training Sergeant also serves as the department liaison and support instructor to the police training academies when recruit officers attend their mandatory basic training.
The department designated a Sergeant in the Office of Professional Responsibility. This position replaced the Lieutenant assigned in the office. The Lieutenant is more appropriately assigned to a command position within our Field Services Bureau and now serves as a nightshift command official. The Department assigned a Corporal to the Office of Professional Responsibility. The Office of Professional Responsibility conducts all administrative investigations, background investigations and investigates community complaints. The department has never had two dedicated investigators in this office before; however, to meet mandates of the Maryland Police Accountability Act of 2021, this personnel shift was necessary. The Office of Professional Responsibility is paramount to the police department’s tenet of legitimacy and accountability to our community.
The department expanded the police department’s Community Engagement Officer (CEO) program by assigning an officer to Wootton High School for the 2025-2026 school year. This new position extends the police department’s outreach in the public school system for the mutual benefit of the school staff, parents and public-school students. This new assignment will work in the same capacity as the CEO assigned to Richard Montgomery High School.
The department has filled all vacant police positions since November of 2024, which constitutes a total of 18 new police officers. Those police officers are comprised of lateral or experienced police officers from other jurisdictions and police recruits who are currently attending basic police academy sessions. The department has 11 recruit officers in two academies, the Montgomery County Police Academy and the Frederick Police Academy. Those classes will graduate in December and January. This will put 11 more police officers on duty in the City of Rockville. The full complement of sworn staff will allow the department to increase staffing in specialized units and to provide additional law enforcement services to the community.
The statistics of police service-related activity from calendar years 2023 to July 2025 yield a typical pattern in an otherwise low crime and safe place to live. The most significant statistic to note is the number of calls for service volume handled by the police department. Not only is the Rockville City Police Department now handling 83% of calls for service in the city, the number of calls for service handled by the department increased by 49% from 2023 to 2024 and is trending the same in 2025. The overall larger volume of calls for service is the most accurate measure of actual workload that the police department is now maintaining with current staffing. Higher numbers of calls for service can potentially impact response time. There are no significant changes in types of crime within the City of Rockville. The department continues to deploy officers based on a geographical beat plan; however, the department is changing the current beat plan to ensure equity in police service across the city.
The department’s role in serving the community has grown with the population of the city. With growth, came the need to streamline roles and responsibilities. This was the purpose for acquiring additional personnel both in our sworn staff and our professional staff. Many of the administrative staff have been cross trained in the services that are provided by the department. Some examples of services that members of the police department were cross trained are Maryland Public Information Act requests, property management, supply tasks, and staffing public services provided at the department.
The department will continue to seek out the most efficient and effective methods to provide the highest level of service to the community.
Mayor and Council History
The last public safety work session was held before the Mayor and Council on February 26, 2024.
Next Steps
The work session will be held before the Mayor and Council.