[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6171380,"mediaKeyId","5394382-0d14437cb4e1275bfea8476678766b47","parentId",5394382,"title","Commission schedules September public forum to gather community input on policing issues","audioSeconds",350,"startMs",6854590,"endMs",7205240,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5394382-0d14437cb4e1275bfea8476678766b47&start=6854&end=7205","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5394382-0d14437cb4e1275bfea8476678766b47/thumbnail_6854590.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6171380/Montgomery-County/Maryland/Commission-schedules-September-public-forum-to-gather-community-input-on-policing-issues","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6171380-b3d08dfaa4a9cea55a3c406c6dfba52d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771064989&Signature=Df6aYwUQJ6JGmI~8YgZ-Mrd3B3bM~cBJVl-KWLf8zQyMYuPX~wNEBc~jAod2UHNC2xyPyqP46OUzQueB8sBmnDMbITMBVhJvU0RGCsy0A4qspRWokZIkoMQ9K~EdN9hAuLBrMNyw3w-8MHvtEkUUYUgeJcC4RMZOgQv-HW27mRYExmFDOYeao72HvxbNItkM5CUCzRmCCFncHUwhAp1g8DVrtJVM9nvoh2A~8yCWkXMmp3iOj8Z-c8uD7IJ0JB-ROKzVTtsfbuKpkxt3xVsCKD7aLwsrUlmR0H6O2IFdLTn0QcICTGprf4jmnX8H21GlaoUljxe6RZO4kBdHNe610w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Montgomery County, MD","date","2025-07-15T15:57:36Z","article","The Advisory Commission on Public Safety set plans to hold an in‑person public forum in September to collect community input on policing topics and to inform the commission’s recommendations to the county council.

Why it matters: Commissioners said public participation will shape the forum agenda and help prioritize topics the commission will recommend to the Council. Staff has received several written comments and will publish a draft response acknowledging receipt and explaining the commission’s role and next steps.

Commissioners said they plan to hold the forum in a Council Office Building space that has the necessary audio‑visual equipment; staff will confirm availability and whether a hybrid (in‑person plus remote) option can be provided for accessibility. Brian Bellamy (chair) said the commission is “shooting for September 8” for the forum and urged members to finalize suggested invitees and topics at the commission’s next meeting so staff can confirm speakers and technical arrangements. Christina and others suggested the encryption of dispatch communications and benchmarking of consent‑search data be included among topics to solicit public comment.

Staff will circulate the list of public comments received and a draft standard response acknowledging submissions; commissioners recommended the response also point contributors to the county council public‑safety committee if their concern is outside the commission’s remit. The commission asked staff to circulate MPD materials and to finalize logistics for agenda and accessibility before the next meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Advisory Commission on Policing - July 14, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The commission confirmed plans for an in-person public forum in September (target date Sept. 8) to collect community input on policing topics; staff will finalize audiovisual and hybrid accessibility details and prepare an agenda informed by public comments already received.","taxTitle","Montgomery County, Maryland","taxId",3351,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6171385,"Commission raises transparency concerns after Montgomery County Police encrypt dispatch communications",1225,4419130,5644400,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5394382-0d14437cb4e1275bfea8476678766b47&start=4419&end=5644","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5394382-0d14437cb4e1275bfea8476678766b47/thumbnail_4419130.jpg","/articles/6171385/Montgomery-County/Maryland/Commission-raises-transparency-concerns-after-Montgomery-County-Police-encrypt-dispatch-communications","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6171385-709dffe6b10882d8a167d74a4e81713c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771064989&Signature=jubr8IVUWOKEgsG7AARbg66AzO~Wxp0vlMDkJmY~T8GcAqVfdq1obb-uvmj1doc~Dv8TKPDigfTsu6rqA0~VLI82KKvcFJGD0IlfLD9s-SkXmw19A8H7qg4ofMOi4c3XogMa6DRvUQoXiQDpILDy-ilPd7~DiHS3q3mNgKWYrus5Audm0~qNct-xPE9kfav9AhuuxbDga7zl5aOxCtIiuK9Y2IUB-a1bJwwlJaWpHNQW9R1yS0ff~55LG9sas~2VQFBKruCOsty2hgeE9liccYyDbPfpai0nXafZjAoHVn65RmO4o2MuTrCiKjP7aSxWjdC7TOv4bVWbEoAsewJg1Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Members of the Advisory Commission on Public Safety raised concerns about Montgomery County Police’s recent move to encrypt radio and dispatch communications and asked for further briefing from the department on the rationale and public‑access implications.

Why it matters: Commissioners said immediate public awareness of ongoing police activity (road closures, active incidents) can be important for public safety and media reporting. Encryption of active dispatch channels could limit third‑party monitoring tools (scanners, Broadcastify) and raise questions about how the department will communicate time‑sensitive information to the public.

Susan (commission staff) summarized testimony from the work session: “MCPD has decided to encrypt its radio communications. Some of the radio communications for the special groups and discussion groups are already encrypted, but this would be, all of the communications between the the the police officers on the road and the dispatchers.” Commissioners raised competing concerns — preventing criminals from monitoring active police operations versus preserving timely public notice. Commission member Christina proposed a middle ground used in other jurisdictions: short, automated public alerts (for example, a brief text or social‑media post that a block is closed for police activity) so the public can avoid affected areas without exposing tactical details.

Several members asked staff to arrange a focused briefing from MPD so the commission can evaluate the policy’s public‑access and transparency implications and suggest mitigations (for example, proactive public notifications and published dispatch‑log release policies). The commission did not take a formal vote but instructed staff to pursue a targeted briefing and to share the MPD staff report and testimony in advance.","Commissioners expressed concern after learning that Montgomery County Police have begun encrypting dispatch channels. Members asked staff to brief the commission and suggested the department clarify how the change will affect public notice and media access.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6171390,"Commission reviews early data on consent-search policy; calls for deeper analysis and possible academic partnership",862,2078020,2940830,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5394382-0d14437cb4e1275bfea8476678766b47&start=2078&end=2940","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5394382-0d14437cb4e1275bfea8476678766b47/thumbnail_2078020.jpg","/articles/6171390/Montgomery-County/Maryland/Commission-reviews-early-data-on-consent-search-policy-calls-for-deeper-analysis-and-possible-academic-partnership","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6171390-5c0696b48e81782ed7e66bc859c68f59/orig.mp4?Expires=1771064989&Signature=L3SHn7J6hzxBJEcHiIqptf6YUGDy2LA3j8NC-8eFEyH4i-PRdwsl3SNMkqupJHQceqy02V8~teJj5xNgD2c3aYIHw-Bxj7TgrJXXxMJLGAVWgLvym6~tgHJOPAXg6pw~rC62qIlidnAZEs5mbUKyHuKHEzyRWcMBTIuF9xrdVXc5VFXLgIhuIniCOSXq69t8Cv965tT7qpYtRJBkb095x1~AynqPl1btA7KjWvMhh-H9789e33LpdgNrJ~ABQkA5YtxyNJCBvkuqXkulyh-hr5xIKDtfDOb2rzFSmwmq4AfGbBbA5imDFN9eCGRZMxbfr7iDhUb7KucsrgonlYS6lg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Commissioners reviewed staff updates and a public-safety work session on the county’s revised consent-search policy and agreed the available six-month dataset is too small to draw firm conclusions about disparities.

Why it matters: Commissioners said the question of how to benchmark police stops and searches — census data versus alternative ‘risk‑adjusted’ measures — is central to evaluating disparities. Several members urged the data subcommittee to pursue a technical analysis and consider partnering with academic researchers to develop better comparison benchmarks.

Francisco Gonzalez, who watched the July work session, said the presentation showed “disparities remain,” but added that “the available data set since the policy was changed remains too small to provide confidence on whatever conclusions you can draw.” Susan (commission staff) outlined the problems with relying solely on census data and described San Francisco’s layered‑benchmark approach — including benchmarking against drivers involved in not‑at‑fault crashes and a risk‑adjusted disparity index — as an example the commission could consider.

Commissioners proposed three follow-ups: the data subcommittee will catalog MPD data sources, explore alternative benchmarks and recommend whether the commission should request a formal, independent analysis. Henry offered to contact academic contacts (John Jay College of Criminal Justice) to explore possible pro bono or graduate‑student support. The commission did not adopt a formal requirement to change benchmarking methods but agreed next steps should include outreach to researchers and further review of MPD’s implementation and supervision of the new policy.","The commission discussed early data on Montgomery County's new consent-search policy, noting that available six‑month figures are limited and disparities persist. Members urged a deeper, risk‑adjusted analysis and discussed seeking outside academic help to identify better benchmarks than census data.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6171396,"Advisory commission approves request for police database inventory to inform data review",1322,589380,1911520,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5394382-0d14437cb4e1275bfea8476678766b47&start=589&end=1911","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5394382-0d14437cb4e1275bfea8476678766b47/thumbnail_589380.jpg","/articles/6171396/Montgomery-County/Maryland/Advisory-commission-approves-request-for-police-database-inventory-to-inform-data-review","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6171396-c72e7428fe42b01d5a671aa6dd389a94/orig.mp4?Expires=1771064989&Signature=aLt36tUrlUC1U9H1o413iMSoWqOCvuf3lQKs-F6th86OR0ITyY0o5uaKcVHj0tUx2adu2hIUKsA3Tzlrq0xgguEVraaoj5dbdxpaeRbDDQOas3CGKlOvPF0I2mHdP4QY0oEyuY2LqyDZzyRZBJNG6vtwB3e0egEEbpHhfaQz7pSBYFhAYtzJHrFy5qP2d5ZoePOwINbIjHH-YBvGOBuYsCCPthV8zOQpUyOzu9ugqRzyP-EePR~j9G~cOfKoDFpoxxlK9wLHH0-GfbzUbqNy1sOhpo1B3MYfcBL31zpZ641ZbS8OiBJRp-XhgxCfc863tz36Uz~~J2waeO2J0lMFsw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Advisory Commission on Public Safety voted to forward a formal request asking the Montgomery County Police Department for a compendium of its data systems and databases to inform the commission's review of policing recommendations and reporting.

Commission work matters because commissioners said they need a definitive, standardized view of what databases exist and what they contain before recommending changes to reporting or performance measures. The request is intended to support the data subcommittee's work to compare what the police department currently collects against recommendations from recent reports.

Commission members described the request as a first step. Commissioner Francisco Gonzalez said the inventory is intended to produce “a type of standardized request for various different information” so the commission can learn “what type of databases they keep and what type of information is on those databases.” Commission staff and members emphasized the committee will follow up with the department and the system owners (including IT) to learn whether databases are current, funded and interoperable.

Commissioners discussed whether the inventory should cover only police-run systems or a broader set of county databases and municipal systems that feed into county reporting. The commission agreed the subcommittee will start by cataloging the systems the police department uses and then determine whether additional, countywide or municipal data sources should be included. Susan (commission staff) noted that the easiest route to identify legal reporting requirements is to ask the department what it believes it must submit to state and federal authorities.

The commission recorded a motion to submit the draft request for data, the motion was seconded and the chair announced the motion passed by voice vote. Minutes show the data subcommittee will send the memo and the statement of purpose to the commission for finalization and then distribute the formal request through established channels.

Next steps: the data subcommittee will send its memo and the draft request to commission members for approval, will start outreach to MPD system owners and the county IT unit, and will pursue whether an annual update of the inventory is practical.","The Montgomery County Advisory Commission on Public Safety voted to forward a formal request asking the county police department for a compendium of the systems and databases it uses, aiming to standardize what data exists and what is reported for oversight work.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Commission schedules September public forum to gather community input on policing issues

Commission raises transparency concerns after Montgomery County Police encrypt dispatch communications

Commission reviews early data on consent-search policy; calls for deeper analysis and possible academic partnership

Advisory commission approves request for police database inventory to inform data review