The Advisory Commission on Policing's school-safety subcommittee said it still seeks clarity about the current memorandum of understanding that governs school resource officers (SROs) and community engagement officers (CEOs) in Montgomery County Public Schools.

Terry, chair of the school-safety subcommittee, summarized recent meetings with MCPD staff and said the committee found conflicting impressions among community members, school staff and officers about the program's current configuration. "There seems to be some lack of clarity ... for the 2025 budget, what was approved ... where that MOU is now, and how the monies are allocated," Terry said. Committee members reported finding a 2022 MOU in agency records and a 2024 summary in staff reports; they asked staff to confirm which document governs current operations.

Susan, a staff member, told the group that the MOU is a public record in the department's PowerDMS system and that, to her knowledge, the 2022 version is what staff are currently using. She clarified that the County Council is not a signatory to the school MOU: it is an agreement among local police departments, the state's attorney and Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). She noted that prior legislation attempting to change SRO authority had not been enacted.

Captain Estrada briefed the commission on the department's co-responder pilot for mental-health calls. The pilot is modeled on programs in Rockville and the Takoma Park Police Department and currently deploys clinicians from the county Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on overtime. The clinicians ride in unmarked county vehicles, receive CAD dispatch information via iPad, and coordinate with responding officers. Estrada said the pilot is funded by a grant that runs through 2027 and that the department has requested funding to add a full-time clinician and a peer-support specialist; final budget decisions remain pending.

Estrada described how the co-responder clinician steps in when "law enforcement is not necessary" and the clinician can take the lead once safety is assured. He emphasized the program's current limitations: no full-time clinician is assigned yet and clinicians are scheduled primarily on busier days (Mondays and Fridays) under the grant arrangement.

The subcommittee agreed to review the MOU text, consult MCPD and MCPS for clarification, and return to the commission with recommended edits or questions the committee wishes to raise with signatories.

Next steps: the school-safety subcommittee will obtain and circulate the relevant MOU version(s), confirm signatories and ask MCPD and MCPS to clarify budget and operational details before drafting any suggested revisions.