My Ride-Along with MCPD: A Night to Remember, Cheryl Riley

As an avid watcher of On Patrol Live , which shines a light on policing in America with veteran journalist and hosts, Dan Abrams, former Lieutenant Sean "Sticks" Larson and Deputy Curtis Wilson (airs on Reelz Friday and Saturday 8-12 am)presenting a transparent look at law enforcement live and in real time, I was understandably thrilled when I was able to participate in a Ride Along with Captain James Brown, Duty Commander of the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD), on October 17. Having the opportunity to see what our Law Enforcement Officers do daily, was an eye opener! My main goal was to fully witness what our MCPD does daily to serve and protect our county and to see the rise in crime especially being felt by my district which the County Council/Executive and my opponent simply ignore. I did this for the residents’ and to support our incredible MCPD.

Montgomery County covers 507 square miles and has a population of nearly 1.1 million residents and MCPD includes approximately 1,300 sworn officers and 650 support personnel. As Duty Commander, Capt. Brown assumes command of the department in the absence of the Chief of Police and other senior departmental executive officers and provides field supervision to ensure adherence to established departmental policies, procedures, rules, and regulations. Like Live PD showing deputies treating people with respect, Capt. Brown, who has been on the force for nearly three decades and oversees all patrols on duty, exuded calm and strength of character, whether interacting with me, fellow police officers during his nightly precinct check-ins, or on the streets addressing suspicious behavior.

Prior to picking me up, Capt. Brown was on a call where a suicidal man was holed up in a government building. Capt. Brown explained as we drove to our first call together that the MCPD worked calmly with the man to have him surrender his weapon and agree to obtain mental health counseling. The evening was anything but boring, as our first stop was to check in on an officer who had just been attacked by a pit bull while he and officers were trying to subdue a man high on PCP, posing a danger to himself and others. The dog had been let out of the home, charged at and bit the officer. Thankfully, the officer was doing well after the bite was cleaned and bandaged. The rest of that call (which I was not present for) was more tumultuous as the three other pit bulls living at the residence ran out of the house and began fighting each other, resulting in one dog being killed. As an animal lover and owner of two dogs, it would have been heartbreaking to witness. Animal Control was called in for added support.

Throughout the evening, I was at Capt. Brown’s side, listening to the calls on the radio and watching him interact with the public and his fellow officers. In between responding to requests from dispatch and the field, he was straight-forward in answering my myriad of questions and he listened, one of the most important things an officer can do. He helped me to see even more clearly how committed he is – and has been for over 30 years – to his job.

As we headed to one of four precincts for Capt. Brown’s nightly shift check-ins, we stopped to speak with a K9 unit, and I was overjoyed to meet K9 “Joey.” He was the sweetest and a highlight for me to get some cuddles from such a dedicated a K9 officer. I was reminded, however, of the incredible On Patrol Live’s K9 officers such as Kai, and that once K9 Joey was “on duty,” he was a trained professional ready to respond on command to take down a criminal or help diffuse a situation.

As we drove throughout the county, Capt. Brown was on constant watch for any criminal activity, as he multi-tasked via monitoring the numerous calls…he was a true professional. We stopped at different precincts throughout the county and Capt. Brown introduced me by informing LEOs that I was running for County Council District 4, that I fully supported MCPD ,and that, if elected, will support and ensure they have the resources needed. The welcoming I received from officers throughout the night was so heartwarming. They were truly grateful that I and my fellow candidates cared and would help them do their jobs without restrictions inhibiting their ability to do their jobs. They were also grateful that I wanted to see what they do first-hand as only one council member had done so, years ago. This was before the County Council began to impose restrictions upon the MCPD. I was very humbled by their appreciation and their sense of hope as they believe help is on the way.

I attended a shift change and Roll Call, which was amazing to hear how LEOs are informed of calls that previously occurred and receive intel on situations they should be aware of for their upcoming shift. As the night continued, Capt. Brown did a traffic stop for excessive speeding and issued a warning, as the male driver had no prior record and was remorseful for speeding. Capt. Brown was such a kind professional who always showed compassion. When we encountered two separate drivers who did not have their lights on, he simply pulled up next to each and informed them to turn on their lights. Both drivers were so grateful as they were unaware their headlights were off.

Throughout the evening, the radio calls were non-stop. As the supervisor, Capt. Brown listened to all channels and while I knew our county crime had skyrocketed, I had no idea of just how much since we only receive news about a small number of the actual crimes…there are so many more that go unreported. Capt. Brown was “protective” of me, so while I wanted to, and was not afraid to go on active dangerous calls, he did not want to subject me to any harm. We did go to a burglary call which was exciting as Jim turned on the siren and lights as we headed full speed to the location. I noticed, and was furious, as he had to traverse via his excellent driving skills around people who simply ignored police lights and sirens!

As I listened to the responding officers reaching the location, the suspect was not found, so I said, “I bet they’ll call in a K9 unit,” and I was right! (Thank you, Dan Abrams and Live PD’ for that insight.) I watched a K9 (not Joey) in action, and witnessed him doing his job. He headed into the restaurant that had been entered by the suspect breaking windows, with no fear, just pure determination to find the suspect. Our last stop was the 911 Central Command Center, where I was again greeted with amazing gratitude. I met more remarkable professionals who have an equally tough job as they are the first point of contact for LEO’s and do their jobs with incredible accuracy and compassion.

I knew police officers were dedicated, but to witness first-hand how they go above and beyond to PROTECT AND SERVE was inspiring, and my night was one I will never forget. Public safety and crime are on the minds of voters and one of my main priorities in running for Montgomery County Council (District 4), is to support law enforcement. Our police should be able to do their jobs with added resources, not less. I have vowed to work to implement policies that let criminals, and those "harboring" that crime or individual, to be dealt with swiftly. I am beyond grateful for Captain Brown’s calm demeaner and the time he took to explain what it means to be a MOCO law enforcement officer: to safeguard life and property, preserve the peace, prevent and detect crime, enforce the law, and protect the rights of all citizens, to honor, protect and serve his community.

My Ride Along experience further solidified my commitment to support MCPD’s efforts to ensure false narratives and belittling rhetoric is halted when I am in office. Our officers deserve more respect from county leaders who do not fully appreciate what law enforcement does daily . County leaders need to stop the micromanagement and disparaging remarks as it puts LEO’S in harms’ way and has damaged the morale of the entire force in many ways. I plan to offer resources to build the force to protect residents, not criminals.

Thank you, Capt. Brown, for teaching me the procedures and providing invaluable insight to the duties you and your fellow officers do daily. Thank you to Chief Jones and the entire MCPD for your service. I will ALWAYS BACK THE BLUE!

Cheryl A. Riley, a Republican and North Bethesda resident who founded her own public relations firm more than two decades ago, is a candidate running for County Council District 4 (North Bethesda, Kensington, Silver Spring and Takoma Park) on November 8. www.cherylriley4moco.com