The Montgomery County Board of Commissioners recently approved funding for up to 17 municipal police departments to opt-in to the county-wide law enforcement Record Management System (RMS).

Each department that chooses to join would be using the same system as the County, which will allow for better information sharing and more effective public safety response, Jamila H. Winder, Chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, said in a statement.

“Thanks to the efforts of our Montgomery County Department of Public Safety, this opens to the door for more of the County’s municipal police departments to opt into our shared records system,” Winder said.

“We are investing nearly $2 million to modernize law enforcement and help policy makers make better decisions and keep all of our communities safer,” said Neil K. Makhija, Vice Chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners. “Some of the records systems currently in use go back to the 80’s. It’s time to take these steps to modernize government and the use of data across all sectors. Law enforcement will be able to use better data to make better decisions. All Montgomery County residents will benefit when law enforcement is fully coordinated.” 

In 2016 the County approved covering the onboarding costs for 31 municipalities to opt into the system. The shared system is mutually beneficial for the municipalities, the District Attorney’s Office, and the Sheriff’s Office, offering county-wide data records and insights into public safety. Now, after renewed interest from other municipalities, the County extended the offer to fund the onboarding of up to 17 additional police departments to join the RMS. 

“As a big advocate for public safety, it is exciting to see the County’s RMS continue to evolve,” said Commissioner Thomas DiBello. “All residents of Montgomery County should be proud of what we have here and the level of coordination involved. Data sharing is priceless for ensuring public safety.” 

Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele spoke during public comment at the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners meeting, stating, “The public expects in 2024 that we should be able to get this data. This is moving us towards transparency and making better decisions. We all believe in justice for all. Sharing information with the public is our goal, an expanded RMS helps us analyze crime trends and be strategic in fighting crime.”

“We all want law enforcement to be able to fulfill their duties efficiently and accurately,” said Michael Vest, Director of the Montgomery County Department of Public Safety. “With more potential municipalities using the county-wide RMS, we will be able to better protect the public’s safety, officer safety, and increase efficiency and equity in law enforcement.”

The approved cost for onboarding an additional 17 municipal departments is $1.8 million, with the total depending on the number of departments that choose to participate. Although the County covers the cost of initial onboarding, the recurring annual maintenance is paid by the individual municipal departments. 

To watch the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners meeting, you can click here.

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Photo: Ricoh Scanners