The Rockville City Police Department (RCPD) is a U.S. law enforcement agency responsible for patrolling the city of Rockville, the third largest city in the U.S. state of Maryland. The RCPD patrols the city in cooperation with the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD).[5][6][7] The agency serves a jurisdiction consisting of over 65,000 people[8] and has been a CALEA-accredited agency since 1994.[9][10] According to the RCPD, its mission is to protect and promote community safety, ensure the safe and orderly movement of traffic, and seek solutions to any problem that creates fear or threatens the quality of life in its jurisdiction.[11]
History
Lieutenant Walter Kent Atwell of the RCPD in 1963
Vintage RCPD motorcycle unit, circa late 1960s/early 1970s
The entire RCPD in 1972
An RCPD captain and a USAF colonel in 1976
The RCPD's burglary prevention unit and an MCPD sergeant in 1976
An RCPD policeman in 1977
Former patch of the RCPD, used during the late 1970s[12] and early 1980s.[13]
In 1963, the RCPD began the use of radar to enforce speed limit compliance.[14]
In 1968, the RCPD hired its first black policeman, Richard "Gene" Eugene Dyson.[15] By 1972, the RCPD only had 9 policemen.[16]
In 1976, the RCPD and the Montgomery County P.D. formed a burglary prevention unit to help deter and investigate burglaries in the city.[17]
In June 1976, Dennis Dempsey became the RCPD's first captain.[18] Under Chief Charles Wall, a former New Jersey police chief, a Burglary Prevention Unit composed of RCPD patrol officers and Montgomery County Police detectives was created. Jared Stout, a former Fairfax County Police media director, was chief from 1979 through 1989. Under Chief Stout, relations were formalized to allow Rockville City officers to respond to 911 calls.
In 1996, the RCPD was awarded the Excellence in Community Policing Award by the National League of Cities.[20]
In 1998, the City of Rockville annexed 900 acres of land, increasing the RCPD's jurisdiction by the same.[21]
In 1999, the RCPD had 45 sworn policemen and 18 unsworn civilian employees.[22] In 2000, the RCPD had 45 sworn policemen and 18 unsworn civilian employees.[22] In 2001, the RCPD had 50 sworn policemen and 20 unsworn civilian employees.[23]
In 2011, the RCPD began the use of license plate-reading cameras on their cars.[24] In 2012, the RCPD transitioned to an electronic, computerized method of issuing traffic citations.[25]
In 2012, the RCPD moved to a new headquarters building.[26]
In June 2013, the RCPD had 57 sworn policemen on duty and 36 unsworn civilian employees for a total of 93 members.[27]
In 2016, the RCPD made 678 arrests, gave 95 drunk driving citations, issued 13,603 parking tickets, and gave 8,996 traffic warnings.[3]
For 2016, the RCPD's budget was 12,181,400$.[3] In 2017, the RCPD's policemen began wearing body cameras.[3]
Organization
The current chief of police is Victor Brito, since mid-2018. The RCPD is divided into three bureaus:[28]
Field Services Bureau
Special Operations Bureau
Administrative Services Bureau
Falling under the Office of the Chief, the RCPD also has the following sections:[28]
Public relations
Professional standards (equivalent to an internal affairs in other agencies)
Inspection services
Police chaplain
The RCPD's headquarters building is located at 2 West Montgomery Avenue in Rockville, Maryland.[29]
RCPD uniforms are dark blue with a light blue stripe running down the side of each pant leg.[20] RCPD officers who act as K-9 handlers wear dark blue BDUs.[35][36] The Maryland state coat of arms is worn on the collars, except for high ranking officers like the chief, who wear rank insignia there instead.[32][37]
The RCPD is headed by a single chief; the chief's rank insignia is a golden eagle like the silver ones worn by colonels in the U.S. military.[38] The chief wears a golden badge as opposed to the silver badges of ordinary RCPD policemen.[4]
The RCPD has three majors and they are responsible for each of the department's three bureaus. An RCPD major has duties similar to that RCPD captains had back in the 1970s.[18] RCPD majors wear a golden badge as opposed to the silver badges worn by ordinary RCPD policemen.[39]
Presented to an RCPD officer who has rendered a service wherein the officer's diligence, perseverance, or timely judgment in the performance of their duties resulted in the accomplishment of a difficult task, the protection of life or property, the prevention of a major crime, or the apprehension of an armed and dangerous criminal.[3]
The RCPD's patrol cars are painted grey with their liveries consisting of black and blue stripes on the sides with the words "ROCKVILLE POLICE" inscribed near the hood and on the front doors, with the Rockville city seal emblazoned on the rear doors. Inscribed on both front fenders are the words "If You SEE Something, SAY Something",[45] with the words "EMERGENCY 911" emblazoned on the rear quarter panels.[46]
Past liveries
In the 1990s, the RCPD's patrol cars were for the most part white Chevrolet Luminas[47] and first-generation Ford Crown Victorias with a single blue stripe on the side running the entire length of the car from front to back. The Rockville city seal was emblazoned on both of the front doors, with the department's 10-digit phone number, "301-340-7300", inscribed on the front fenders, with the words "ROCKVILLE CITY POLICE" pasted on the rear quarter panels.[48]
In the early mid-2000s the RCPD used Chevrolet Blazers[49] and eighth-generation Chevrolet Impala 9C1s with a very similar livery design as the current one used presently in the 2010s, however the cars were painted white instead of grey and the motto on the front fenders were omitted.[48] In the mid-2000s, the RCPD used Chevrolet Tahoes[50] and Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptors with the cars' paint schemes were changed from white to grey.[51][52][53]
^Rockville City Police Department (May 29, 2015). "In Memoriam". Rockville City Police Department. Facebook. Retired Rockville City Police Lieutenant Charles C. Bender, age 79, passed away May 27, 2015. Lt. Bender served the citizens of Rockville with distinction for 30 years from 1968-1998. He was one of the first motorcycle officers for the City. Our deepest condolences and prayers go out to his family.
^City of Rockville (June 2013). "If You See Something Say Something". Rockville City Police Department. City of Rockville. Archived from the original on June 21, 2013. Retrieved June 21, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^Rockville City Police Department (August 14, 2014). "Throwback Thursday". Rockville City Police Department. Facebook. Retrieved August 26, 2017. It's Throwback Thursday and in our efforts in continuing to keep Rockville citizens safe, today's TBT dates back to April 1977 with the debut of the electric engraving pens used to identify Rockville resident's property during Operation Identification Program. #RCPDTBT
^"Throwback Thursday". Rockville City Police Department. Facebook. March 27, 2014. Retrieved August 26, 2017. It's Throwback Thursday and the Rockville City Police Department is taking you all the way back 51 years. This article appeared in the October 1963 issue of the City of Rockville Newsletter. The Mayor and Council were considering a request to increase the four-man police department to regular patrol shifts after 6:00 p.m. to enable the use of radar at night to curb speeding.
^Rockville City Police Department (August 17, 2017). "The Rockville City Police Department wishes to extend our condolences to the family of Richard "Gene" Eugene Dyson, who passed away on August 9, 2017". Rockville City Police Department. Facebook. Retrieved August 26, 2017. He was the first African American police officer hired by the Rockville City Police Department in 1968. He also served as a volunteer for the Rockville Volunteer Fire Department. A viewing will be held for Officer Dyson on Friday, August 18 at the Snowden Funeral Home from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. followed by a funeral service at the Catholic Cemeteries of Washington in Silver Spring.
^Rockville City Police Department (June 6, 2014). "Flashback Friday". Rockville City Police Department. Facebook. Retrieved August 26, 2017. It's Flashback Friday and we've decided to flashback 42-years to 1972 when the Rockville City Police Department was just a small 9-person operation. Fast forward to June 2014 where our Department has grown to a total of 92 sworn and civilian staff members with our police headquarters in two buildings at the corner of West Montgomery Avenue and North Washington St. #flashbackfriday #RCPD
^ abcRockville City Police Department (April 11, 2014). "Flashback Friday". Rockville City Police Department. Facebook. It's Flashback Friday and the Rockville City Police Department is taking you back 38 years ago to June 1976 when the Department welcomed aboard its very first Police Captain, Dennis Dempsey. The Department no longer has the rank of Captain, but rather three Majors who are each responsible for the oversight of their specific Bureau in the Department.
^"RCPD ACCREDITATION". 24 May 2000. Archived from the original on 24 May 2000.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^"Frequently Asked Questions". Rockville City Police Department. 1999. Archived from the original on September 2, 1999.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^ ab"Frequently Asked Questions". Rockville City Police Department. Maryland: City of Rockville. 2000. Archived from the original on December 8, 2000.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^"Frequently Asked Questions". Rockville City Police Department. Maryland: City of Rockville. 2001. Archived from the original on October 5, 2001. Retrieved October 5, 2001.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^"Frequently Asked Questions". Rockville, Maryland: City of Rockville. 2013. Archived from the original on June 21, 2013. Retrieved June 21, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
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