Public Safety, Rockville Reports

RCPD Details Positive Trends in Community Policing Mission

A nearly fully staffed Rockville City Police Department is seeing results in fighting crime and serving the community, police leadership said during a Nov. 17 public safety work session with the Mayor and Council. 

The RCPD presentation included data from the 2024 annual report and from Jan. 1-Oct. 31, 2025. 

Assaults dropped 9% between 2023 and 2024 and the downturn continues in 2025, according to data reported to the FBI through the National Incident-Based Reporting System. The city saw no homicides in 2023 or 2024. There were three in early 2025. All those cases have been closed with arrests. 

The department’s efforts have led to a decrease in motor vehicle thefts, a crime that spiked due to thefts by juvenile offenders. RCPD enforcement and community engagement included distributing free steering wheel locks. Vehicle thefts dropped from 258 offenses in all of 2024 to 115 through the first 10 months of 2025. “So, I think we are making an impact there, obviously, by the statistical data,” Chief Jason L. West said. 

Other community engagement efforts included the department’s annual gun buyback on Nov. 15, which collected 303 firearms, providing an opportunity for community members to voluntarily, legally and safely turn in firearms they no longer wanted. 

Recruitment and retention efforts have led to a decrease in incidents with written case reports in neighborhoods across the city. 

“[In] 2024, we did see significant issues around the city,” West said. “In 2024, we had significant staffing issues in our police department. We do not have that problem to date.” 

Over the past year, the department filled all vacant police positions — a total of 18 new officers — and has 11 recruit officers in police academies in Montgomery and Frederick counties. There is just one current vacancy. 

Improved recruitment and a partnership with county police have also led to quicker response times. The average time for officers to respond to calls, from dispatch to arrival on scene, decreased from 9.2 minutes in 2023 to 8.6 minutes in 2024 and held steady through the first 10 months of 2025. This is even as call volume increased 49% from 2023 and 2024. 

“We’re working on a new strategy to redeploy our officers so that we can make sure we provide equal service to all areas of our city,” West said. That includes increasing the number of patrol sectors in 2026 from three to five. 

The department includes 73 sworn officers and 23 civilian staff members. It was reaccredited in 2024 by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, recognizing RCPD as among the top law enforcement agencies in the country. 

Find the staff report and video of the presentation with the Mayor and Council agendas, minutes and videos at rockvillemd.gov/mayorcouncil. 

Learn more about RCPD and find its annual report at rockvillemd.gov/police.