Montgomery County police face recruitment and retirement challenges

GAITHERSBURG, Md. - The Montgomery County Police Department is grappling with significant challenges, including the recruitment of new officers amid an impending wave of retirements.

According to FOX 5's Maureen Umeh, a report presented to the County Council by the department highlights the department’s strain due to rising overtime costs and concerns about maintaining public safety standards. 

The report indicates that out of 1,278 sworn officer positions, 166 remain vacant. The Gaithersburg area’s District 6D has the highest number of vacancies, with 32 open positions.

Response times for "priority" calls have shown improvement in 2024, although "routine" call times vary across districts. For instance, in Silver Spring’s 3D district, priority response times have increased by just 14 seconds since 2019, while in Germantown’s 5D district, they have risen by over a minute.

The department is also contending with escalating overtime costs. The fiscal year 2024 overtime budget was set at $11.6 million, but actual spending reached $19.9 million.

Recruitment efforts are further challenged by the fact that as of March, 32% of sworn officers are eligible for retirement. This includes those eligible for standard and early retirement, as well as a program that allows officers to draw a pension while continuing to work for up to three more years.

Montgomery County is not alone in its struggle to recruit and retain police officers. Police departments across Maryland and Washington, D.C., are offering signing bonuses of up to $25,000 to attract new recruits.

Umeh said the issues will be discussed at the County Council’s Public Safety Committee work session where Police Chief Marc Yamada and Assistant Chief Darren Francke are expected to provide updates.