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Montgomery County police describe new uniform patches, urge residents to report crimes regardless of immigration status
Summary
Montgomery County Police spokespeople explained a December rollout of new shoulder patches reading 'Montgomery County Police' to reduce confusion with other agencies, shared guidance to identify officers and urged residents to call 9-1-1 for emergencies or the county non-emergency line for later incidents.
Marcela Rodríguez Villagrán, host of the program En Sintonía con el Concejo, interviewed Carlos Cortés, a spokesperson for the Montgomery County Police Department, about how residents can identify county officers and when to contact police.
Cortés said the department moved from a generic “POLICE” shoulder patch to one that explicitly reads “Montgomery County Police” after officers and residents reported confusion between multiple municipal, county and federal law-enforcement agencies operating in the area. "Los oficiales de la policía del condado Montgomery utilizan un uniforme negro... [con] una placa dorada... que dice policía... y abajo dice condado de Montgomery, MD," Cortés said, describing the chest badge, name-and-ID tag and shoulder patches.
Cortés also cited arrests of people impersonating officers as part of the reason for the change, saying the department has detained individuals using blue lights and fake badges. "Hemos arrestado a personas que se han hecho pasar por policía," he said, urging residents to check for the county-specific markings.
On the department’s role in immigration matters, Cortés told listeners that county officers do not enforce federal immigration law: "A nosotros no nos interesa su estatus migratorio," he said, and encouraged victims and witnesses of crime to report incidents without fear. The program’s visit to the police headquarters later included Mariela León, also identified as a department spokesperson, who reiterated the message: "No tengan miedo, no quédense en silencio, hablen, llámenos."
Cortés gave practical reporting guidance: call 9-1-1 for crimes in progress or emergencies; for incidents that have already occurred and are not urgent he advised using the county non-emergency line (he cited 301-279-8000). He also listed district stations where residents can report in person, naming Germantown, Gatesburg, Rockville, Bethesda, Wheaton and Silver Springs.
The department produced a brief informational video and the county council’s digital platforms host the visual materials showing the new patches and identification details.
The interview closed with the host urging listeners to save the non-emergency number and to use the correct line so true emergencies can reach 9-1-1. The police spokespeople said the patch change was implemented in December and that all officers had received the new insignia.
