For Immediate Release: Tuesday, October 3, 2017
Montgomery County Councilmember Marc Elrich’s statement
on supplemental appropriation to fight gang activity
ROCKVILLE, Md., Oct. 3, 2017—Today the Council voted unanimously to approve a supplemental appropriation that will enhance the County’s gang activity suppression efforts. Councilmember Marc Elrich, who serves as chair of the Council’s Public Safety Committee, issued a statement, which is found below.
This afternoon the Council voted unanimously to support the County Executive’s supplemental appropriation to the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) in the amount of $596,920, and the State's Attorney's Office (SAO) in the amount of $246,773. As chair of the Council’s Public Safety Committee, I am grateful that my colleagues understand the importance of increasing funding to address this issue.
The County is taking an important first step to combat gang activity in our community. This funding will address needs on both the investigatory and prosecutorial sides of law enforcement. It’s also important that we look for effective programs that can reduce the flow of young children into gangs. This problem cannot be solved through law enforcement efforts alone. We need to address it head on and in a thoughtful, thorough manner. I look forward to further discussions with non-profit service providers and County staff as we examine what more can be done to address this problem with comprehensive, preventative strategies to supplement the work of our public safety departments.
The funding approved today will enable the police department to expand its current Gang Unit with the addition of six new positions, including a sergeant, three detectives, and two civilian gang analysts. This will facilitate the expansion of a centralized unit focusing on complex, long-ranging investigations into gang organizations, including enhanced coordination with regional and federal partner agencies. It will also include a unit tasked with working in the field with police districts to respond quickly to suspected gang-related crimes.
The funding also will add three new assistant state's attorneys and one new senior legal assistant to the State’s Attorney’s Office to create a new gang unit, tasked with monitoring and prosecuting cases linked to gang activity.
# # # Release ID: 17-297