Montgomery County Public Schools request 52 additional security guards amid safety concerns

The Brief

• Request for Security Guards: Montgomery County Public Schools seek 52 additional security guards to address safety concerns.
• Incident Background: Two gun-related incidents at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School have been reported in the last month.
• Budget and Implementation: The budget will be sent to the Council by March 14, with potential implementation next year.
• Montgomery County Public Schools request 52 additional security guards amid safety concerns | FOX 5 DC

News4 cameras capture this fight between students and police after an earlier brawl between Gaithersburg and Northwest High Schools football teams during tonight's game at Gaithersburg @nbcwashington

News4 cameras capture this fight between students and police after an earlier brawl between Gaithersburg and Northwest High Schools football teams during tonight's game at Gaithersburg @nbcwashington pic.twitter.com/kFzI7ADoVD

— Tom Lynch (@TomLynch_) September 17, 2022

Fox 5 DC news: 18-year-old stabbed at Clarksburg High School, Montgomery County Police confirm (police search audio added)

https://www.fox5dc.com/news/18-year-old-stabbed-at-clarksburg-high-school-montgomery-county-police-confirm

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (FOX 5 DC) - Montgomery County Police have confirmed an 18-year-old was stabbed at Clarksburg High School Monday night.

The incident happened around 9:07 p.m. MCPD officers responded to a report of a stabbing and located the injured teenage victim.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Police dispatch and search audio available at the following link.  Please note that there is a 10 second delay in the audio before the dispatch occurs.  All other silent areas have been removed for faster listening.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NSDCaIJkaJEbSpzfienkfsXH8SxGSGdp/view?usp=sharing

Elrich says he will remove police officers from schools

 Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich on Monday said he plans to remove police from public high schools in the fall — instead, officers will be assigned to patrol communities and respond to incidents at schools when needed.

During a briefing announcing the county budget, he said, “The SROs will not be in schools,” referring to the school resource officer program.

“We are taking a very different approach,” Elrich said. “The state requires us to have a response plan for the county schools. We’re going to take police officers, they will have beats that will include wider areas that would encompass the different school districts. They will not be stationed in the schools.”..

https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/elrich-says-he-will-remove-police-officers-from-schools/

$6B Montgomery Co. spending plan fully funds schools, removes SROs

 https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2021/03/6b-montgomery-county-spending-plan-fully-funds-schools-removes-sros/

Montgomery Co. parent says bodycams show police abuse, threaten child inside school

The parent of a Montgomery County Public Schools student is suing both the school system and the county police department following an incident in 2020 involving her Maryland child.

Parent Shanta Grant, who filed the lawsuit, said her son was able to walk away from East Silver Spring Elementary last year without being noticed. She said once police found the boy, about two-tenths of a mile away, officers were verbally abusive, threatening, and even put a handcuff on the child once he was taken back to the school...

https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2021/01/montgomery-co-parent-says-body-cams-show-police-abuse-threaten-child-inside-mcps-school/?fbclid=IwAR2ATtlMLzxZuTG86PO_num2qezaqq34K6D42RK_W7runJWoz_USEfhjkQ8

Montgomery County Mother Cries Foul When Police Called on 10-Year-Old Son Playing With Toy Money

E-Mail from MCPS Re: Damascus High School

Email released yesterday by
Andrew M. Zuckerman, Ed.D.
Chief Operating Officer
Montgomery County Public Schools

Dear Damascus High School Community,
The past seven weeks have been a very trying time for the... https://t.co/vryBZR2yQz

— Everything Damascus (@EverythingDamas) December 20, 2018

Navarro Board's Plan: More Cameras, Less Security Staff

Don't worry if the County eliminates police officers in schools, remember that MCPS has thousands and thousands of top of the line - megapixel IP - security cameras to replace security staff!


While attending a conference* in Dallas, Texas in February 2009, MCPS Director of School Safety and Security Bob Hellmuth gave a video interview. In that interview, Mr. Hellmuth states that,

"It is so much cheaper to install cameras than it is to go hire additional security staff." (At minute 4:10)

How much did the 13,000(?) cameras that were purchased to replace the existing security cameras in schools cost? There was no contract for this procurement so it's hard to know for sure if these thousands of cameras cost more or less than $23 million!

When was the cost-benefit analysis done on this procurement and where are the results? 

Is it really cheaper to install cameras than hire security staff? 

When did the Board of Education evaluate these options, review the costs and make this decision? 



*Mr. Hellmuth attended a conference in Dallas, Texas during the MCPS "travel freeze" (click link and see page 5 of memo from MCPS COO Larry Bowers for statement on MCPS travel freeze due to budget restrictions)

This posting first posted March 27, 2009 then re-posted on April 29, 2009 on the Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County blog.