Following a unanimous vote by Montgomery County Council, the police department will be required to collaborate with Montgomery College and other educational partners on recruitment, training and continuing education.
One week will be added to the current 24-week police academy training to include education on social justice and community informed policing. Continuing education also will include topics of de-escalation and communication.
“The core of it is, how do we make sure that our officers that are protecting and serving our residents have a really broad interdisciplinary set of training, so they understand the racial justice and social imperatives of our community, but also are learning from non-police officers in a more academic setting and can practice that work,” said Councilmember Will Jawando.
He estimated that 700 Montgomery College students annually are in the criminal justice program, and many of them are county residents and people of color. “We think this will be a direct pipeline” to hiring officers for Montgomery County Police, Jawando said.
Added Councilmember Craig Rice, “We understand that we have to weigh both sides of the issue and treat those who commit crimes with respect” while ensuring crime victims receive support and protection.
Community enforcement officers that are involved with Montgomery County Public Schools are included in the continuing education training.
