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Press Releases - County Council

For Immediate Release: Monday, June 17, 2024

From the Offices of Councilmembers Marilyn Balcombe, Sidney Katz and Dawn Luedtke

Montgomery County Councilmembers Marilyn Balcombe (District 2), Sidney Katz (chair, Public Safety Committee) and Dawn Luedtke (member, Public Safety Committee) will host a community meeting to discuss the launch of the police drone program in the Upcounty. The meeting will take place on Wednesday, June 26 at 6:30 p.m. in the cafeteria of Gaithersburg High School, located at 101 Education Blvd.

Montgomery County Police (MCP) officials will speak about the innovative Drone as First Responder (DFR) program, which launched last fall in Wheaton and Silver Spring, and is now expanding to the Montgomery Village, Gaithersburg, and Germantown area.

The DFR program has been successful in reducing police response times, supporting prompt apprehension of subjects, and helping law enforcement better understand the nature of reported public safety threats. At this meeting, MCP will present their program to the community so residents can learn about the value of this technology, share their feedback, and ask questions about implementation.

What: Community Meeting on Drone as First Responder in the Upcounty.

Where: Gaithersburg High School Cafeteria (101 Education Boulevard, Gaithersburg, MD, 20877) and online at bit.ly/UpcountyDFRZoom.

When: Wednesday, June 26 - 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m.

Members of the public can visit bit.ly/Upcounty_DFR to sign up.

Media can RSVP to Aaron Kraut by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 26, by emailing [email protected] or calling 240-777-7859.

For more information, please contact:

Lisa Mandel-Trupp at [email protected] or 240-777-7960;

Sharon Ledner at [email protected] or 240-777-7906;

Aaron Kraut at [email protected] or 240-777-7859.

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Release ID: 24-228
Media Contact: Aaron Kraut 240-777-7859
Categories: Dawn Luedtke, Marilyn Balcombe, Sidney Katz