On July 21, the County Council Public Safety Committee met to receive a briefing on police data statistics from 2024. During the meeting, Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) representatives also outlined a new survey system for feedback from 911 callers. After an individual calls 911 and an officer is dispatched, they will receive a text asking for feedback on the police service they received. Montgomery County Police aim to implement the survey at the beginning of August.
Certain call types will not receive the survey to avoid re-traumatization, including sexual assault calls and any kind of child abuse reports.
Questions outlined include:
- Who did the caller actually interact with – a dispatcher, a police officer or other staff member
- How the caller views the agency in general
- Whether the call taker or dispatcher understood the caller
- Whether the caller understood the call taker’s instructions or questions
- Whether the caller was treated with respect by the police department and officer
- Whether the caller’s questions were answered
- Whether the caller received the help needed
The survey will also include further questions depending on the caller’s responses, especially if they answer that they did not receive the help they needed from dispatchers or police.
In addition to data about police service, the survey will capture demographic information including the caller’s age range, race, and gender.
“This will start as a pilot in the next four weeks, we’ll evaluate the data and how many responses we’re getting and then look to change the questions if need be,” said Assistant Chief Nicholas Augustine. Montgomery County Police expect the survey will be fully implemented by January of 2026 with a stable set of questions.
