Residents spoke of shootings, car jackings, late night loud noises from bars and fear of living in the downtown area of Silver Spring. Those were the main issues during Sunday’s public safety town hall sponsored by Councilmembers Kate Stewart and Evan Glass.
“We want everyone to feel safe,” Stewart told the packed auditorium in the civic center building. “To do this, we all have to be working together,” she said, listing government, business owners, nonprofits, police and neighbors.
There are problems of gun safety, mental illness and housing that affect the safety of the area, Stewart said.
Earl Stoddard, county assistant chief administrator officer, told residents about proactive and community policing to “address issues before they happen.” He noted that one-third of the guns that police took off the street were found in Silver Spring.
The county police department has a vacancy rate of more than 100 sworn officers, but Stoddard noted six more red shirt ambassadors recently have been hired for Downtown Silver Spring.
The county is in the process of setting up a violent crime information center, which Stoddard called “a nerve center.” Here staff would monitor areas and determine where more officers are needed with the idea of getting police to the right place at the right time, he said.
According to Abigal Hurst of Everytown for Gun Safety, there are 4.8-gun deaths for every 100,000 residents in Montgomery County. Those deaths include suicide, homicide and accidental shootings.
My district team joined hundreds of my constituents for an important community conversation on safety in Silver Spring hosted by MoCo Council President @EvanMGlass and Councilmember Kate Stewart. pic.twitter.com/hEMkmSwpMV
— Rep. Jamie Raskin (@RepRaskin) March 27, 2023
