Public safety is a major concern nationwide, regionwide, and in our county. Crime is up in Silver Spring and Germantown, and we don’t want to see more of it in Gaithersburg – our crime rate has actually been falling in recent years, especially violent crime. I’m proud of our Gaithersburg Police Department, which is exceptionally well-trained and managed by our chief and its senior officers.

There is always room for improvement, and our Council has been very supportive of ways to make things better. Our city was an early adopter of body-worn cameras to ensure that reports by officers and civilians match the real events.

I am concerned that recent well-intentioned laws at the state level have gone too far – police have major new restrictions, particularly when dealing with young people. We recently saw data showing a large increase in criminal activity by young teens, like carjackings. We need to keep our youth out of trouble while making sure everyone stays safe. As a city, we will continue to advocate with our representatives for regulations that work for us all.