2008 Annual Report 

 

Left to right: Sgt. R. Russell, Cpt. J. Damskey, Sgt. J. Demory, Sgt. T. Harmon, Sgt. J. Barnette, Sgt. S. Brown, Lt. R. Smith, and Sgt. I. Lankford

Ensuring the safety of drivers and pedestrians in Montgomery County is a top priority for the Department.  The individuals most responsible for meeting those goals are the members of the Traffic division, which was established in July of 2008 and each District's Motor Unit.  The Traffic Division is comprised of five units which include:  Collisioin Reconstruction, Alcohol Initiatives, Automated Traffic Enforcement, School Safety, and Chemical Test for Alcohol.  The Traffic Division is lead by Captain John Damskey and Lieutenant Ronald Smith.  This new divisioin coordinates county-wide enforcement initiatives and develops operational traffic plans for large-scale county events such as county Fourth of July fireworks displays, the Montgomery County Fair, and the Tiger Woods AT&T National Golf Tournament.

Each of six MCP District Stations has a Traffic Squad headed up by a Traffic Sergeant.  With a total of 43 motor officers, the Montgomery County Police Department has the largest motor unit in the state of Maryland.  The 2nd District's Sgt. Roy Russell developed three major training programs that have been certified by the state of Maryland.  In the near future, these programs, developed in conjunction with the Maryland State Police, serve as models that will be used by other agencies to establish certified and standardized training for all Maryland motor officers.  The first step in the process to be certified as a motor officer is the Orientation Class.  This ten-hour class gives prospective motor officer candidates hands-on experience with police motorcycle operation and lays out the requirements of the Basic Police Motorcycle Operators Course which is the next step in the process.  The Orientation Course also gives Motor Instructors the opportunity to evaluate the motorcycle handling skills of these candidates.  Officers who successfully complete the Orientation Course may then apply for positions in the two-week Basic Police Motorcycle Operators Course.  If officers attend an pass this course, they are certifed and deemed eligible to apply for furture motor officer positions with any of the six Motor Squads.  Finally, a twice-a-year in-service class is held for current motor officers in order to maintain and learn new skills.  Right now in Maryland, only the Maryland State Police and Montgomery County Police offer state-certified training.  In 2008, over 20 of the motor officers took part in a "Santa Ride" that benefited the Children's Inn at the National Institutes of Health.  Santa, 2nd district Motor Officer Robert Ladany, road a motorcycle escorted by other motor officers taking a route from Silver Spring into Bethesda.  Prior to the ride they collected over $7,000 in donations from the Department, area businesses, and friends to purchase gifts and gift cards to assist families residing at the Inn.  These dedicated sergeants are:

1st District Traffic Sergeant Ivan Lankford has been a police officer for over 23 years.  He is in his fourth year of being the traffic sergeant for the 1st District.  Sgt. Lankford knows how many people are killed in traffic collisions each year and that his enforcement of traffic laws can directly reduce those tragedies.  His primary goals are to reduce speeding in residential neighborhoods and increase pedestrian safety in his district's school zones.  Roadways of concern in the 1st District are:  Route 28 Darnestown Road, Crabbs Branch Road at Norbeck Road, Shady Grove Road, and Rockville Pike.  He has found that most collisions are avoidable and are caused by not giving full time and attention to driving. He also works with non-English speaking community members who walk in the areas of Veirs Mill Road at Atlantic Avenue, at Twinbrook Parkway, and at Randolph Road to make sure they understand how to be safer pedestrians.  His words of advice:  "Obey all traffic laws and be patient when traffice is backed up.  Give full time and attention to driving, and you can't do that using cell phones and text-messaging."

2nd District Traffic Sergeant Roy Russell has been a Montgomery County Police Officer for 28 years, and the traffic sergeant for the 2nd District for 10 years.  He spent two years as the sergeant for the Collision Reconstruction Unit that investigates all fatal traffic collisions.  He has gained so much experience that he regularly teaches motor operation skills and successfully represents the department in motorcycle competitions.  His major concerns for the district are pedestrian safety, monitoring speed violations, and being accountable to citizens concerns.  The roadways of major concern in his District for pedestrian safety enforcements have been Wisconsin Avenue at Montgomery Avenue (right in front of the 2nd District station), Wisconsin Avenue at Stanford Street, and Wisconsin Avenue at Elm Street.  Speeding initiatives have targeted Connecticut Avenue between Saul Road and Baltimore Road.  Sgt. Russell came up with an initiative for his squad call the "Inter-Break Program".  He encourages his traffic officers to take a break from patrol at an intersection, where they can be visible on their motorcycles.  They can conduct pedestrian enforcement and act as visible deterrents.  He has seen crashes go down at "Inter-Break Program" intersections.  Right in front of the 2nd District station at Wisconsin and Montgomery Avenue, there were two pedestrian collisions in 2006, 3 in 2007, and none in 2008.  Sgt. Russell says, "Anyone who is driving on the road or crossing the road has to give full time and attention to driving or walking.  Anything that takes attention away can have disastrous results'.

3rd District Traffic Sergeant Tom Harmon has been a police officer with Montgomery County for over 27 years, and the Traffic Sergeant for the 3rd District for 8 and a half years.  He is proud to work with a variety of community groups such as the Silver Spring Transportation Management Advisory Board and the Silver Spring Pedestrian Safety Committee to help make his district safer for both drivers and pedestrians.  He is responsible for the safe and efficient movement of vehicles through a very busy Central Business District (CBD).  He is also responsible for fielding a lot of complaints about aggressive driving and pedestrian safety.  He and his officers have targeted for regular enforcement the major arterials in the district to include:  Colesville Road, New Hampshire Avenue, Piney Branch Road, and Georgia Avenue.  He also plans for and conducts regular pedestrian enforcement in his District.  Sgt. Harmon organized the "2008 Santa Ride" of motor officers to the Children's Inn in Bethesda, which raised more than $7,000 to assist the families of children receiving  treatment at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  His words of caution for drivers, "Know and obey the traffic laws.  Inattention to driving is the major cause of collisions.  When you are driving,that has got to be the most important thing you are doing."

4th District Traffic Sergeant James Barnette has been an officer for 24 years and the traffic sergeant in the 4th District for 7 years.  Prior to becoming a police officer he was a teacher in Fairfax and Arlington Counties for ten years.  He likes being able to have a positive impact on traffic concerns which is a real quality of life issue for so many people.  His biggest challenge is quickly addressing the traffic complaints that come to the station.  He gets 20 to 25 complaints on month in reference to speeding in the district, and knows how much people appreciate his officers evaluating the situation in a timely fashion.  His roadways of major concern are the east-west commuter routes, Randolph Road and Georgia Avenue, which carry more vehicles than they were designed for.  Randolph Road, with its many bus stops, is his primary concern for pedestrian safety enforcement.  He and his officers have done consistent educational outreach with non-English speaking community members about using crosswalks, walking with the light, and not wearing all-dark clothing which makes it difficult to be seen by drivers.  His message:  "It comes down to sharing the road.  Pedestrians have to do their part to cross where and when it is appropriate, but drivers need to slow down and be ready.  Don't push the light, and be on the lookout for pedestrians when driving in urban areas."

5th District Traffic Sergeant Scott Brown has been a police officer for 21 years and the traffice sergeant for the 5th District since October of 2003.  He has enjoyed building an expertise in traffic management, being responsible for coordinating major community events, escorting VIP's, and being involved in all traffic-related matters that occur within the 5th District.  Sgt. Brown's goals for his traffic squad are to diligently enforce traffic laws and consistently try to educate the students in his district's high schools about the critical importance of pedestrian safety and using crosswalks.  Speeding, failing to pay attention while driving, and pedestrian-related violations were found to be responsible for the majority of serious collisions in the district, which is the largetst police district in the county.  His words of advice, "We keep on doing the education about the importance of using the crosswalks because we want you to be safe...but if you don't use them, we're going to give you a citation."

6th Distric Traffic Sergeant James Demory has been a Montgomery County Police Officer for almost 20 years.  He has been the traffic sergeant in the 6th District since 2004.  He has had a keen interest in enforcing traffic laws and gains satisfaction that he is able to make a difference by enhancing traffic and pedestrian safety.  One of his goals is to reduce traffic collisions at the major intersections in his district.  Based on traffic collision data, the intersection of Route 124 Montgomery Village Avenue and Route 355 Frederick Avenue was identified as a crucial area of concern.  The primary type of collisions occurring in the district is rear-end collisions which shows that many drivers are driving too fast and/or not paying enough attention to their driving.  Enforcement has also been focused on parents who don't ensure that their children are properly secured in a safety seat or seatbelt.  The 6th District traffic unit also works regularly with Gaithersburg Police to conduct pedestrian safety campaigns at the local high schools.  Sgt. Demory emphasizes, "Pay attention to the people in front of you.  Take your time when you are driving.  Slow down, and be aware of all of those around you, including pedestrians."