In 1963, the RCPD began the use of radar to enforce speed limit compliance.
In 1968, the RCPD hired its first black policeman, Richard "Gene" Eugene Dyson. By 1972, the RCPD only had 9 policemen.
In 1976, the RCPD and the Montgomery County P.D. formed a burglary prevention unit to help deter and investigate burglaries in the city.
In June 1976, Dennis Dempsey became the RCPD's first captain. Under Chief Charles Wall, a former New Jersey police chief, a Burglary Prevention Unit composed of RCPD patrol officers and Montgomery County Police detectives was created. Jared Stout, a former Fairfax County Police media director, was chief from 1979 through 1989. Under Chief Stout, relations were formalized to allow Rockville City officers to respond to 911 calls.
On March 26, 1994, the RPCD was accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).
In 1996, the RCPD was awarded the Excellence in Community Policing Award by the National League of Cities.
In 1998, the City of Rockville annexed 900 acres of land, increasing the RCPD's jurisdiction by the same.
In 1999, the RCPD had 45 sworn policemen and 18 unsworn civilian employees. In 2000, the RCPD had 45 sworn policemen and 18 unsworn civilian employees. In 2001, the RCPD had 50 sworn policemen and 20 unsworn civilian employees.
In 2011, the RCPD began the use of license plate-reading cameras on their cars. In 2012, the RCPD transitioned to an electronic, computerized method of issuing traffic citations.
In 2012, the RCPD moved to a new headquarters building.
In June 2013, the RCPD had 57 sworn policemen on duty and 36 unsworn civilian employees for a total of 93 members.
In 2016, the RCPD made 678 arrests, gave 95 drunk driving citations, issued 13,603 parking tickets, and gave 8,996 traffic warnings.
For 2016, the RCPD's budget was 12,181,400$. In 2017, the RCPD's policemen began wearing body cameras.
The current chief of police is Victor Brito, since mid-2018. The RCPD is divided into three bureaus:
Falling under the Office of the Chief, the RCPD also has the following sections:
The RCPD's headquarters building is located at 2 West Montgomery Avenue in Rockville, Maryland.
No. | Chief | Rank | Tenure | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Walter Kent Atwell | Chief | Retired in 1986 | |||
Terrance N. "Terry" Treschuk | Chief | March 20, 1989 – June 1, 2016 | Former Granby Police Department officer in Connecticut before joining the RCPD. | ||
Robert J. "Bob" Rappoport | Chief (acting) | June 1, 2016 – June 18, 2018 | Acting chief after the retirement of Chief T.N. Treschuk. Became a policeman on March 1, 1988. | ||
Victor Brito | Chief | June 18, 2018 – present | Was the chief of the Hagerstown Police Department. |
RCPD uniforms are dark blue with a light blue stripe running down the side of each pant leg. RCPD officers who act as K-9 handlers wear dark blue BDUs. The Maryland state coat of arms is worn on the collars, except for high ranking officers like the chief, who wear rank insignia there instead.
In the 1970s, the RCPD had a captain rank. However, it no longer does, having replaced the rank with major.
Award | Ribbon | Criterion |
---|---|---|
Distinguished Service Citation | Presented to an RCPD officer who has rendered a service wherein the officer's diligence, perseverance, or timely judgment in the performance of their duties resulted in the accomplishment of a difficult task, the protection of life or property, the prevention of a major crime, or the apprehension of an armed and dangerous criminal. |
The RCPD uses the sixth-generation Ford Taurus Police Interceptor Sedan and second-generation Dodge Charger as its primary patrol cars; the RCPD also uses the second-generation Ford Explorer Police Interceptor Utility. The RCPD also uses motorcycles.
The RCPD's patrol cars are painted grey with their liveries consisting of black and blue stripes on the sides with the words "ROCKVILLE POLICE" inscribed near the hood and on the front doors, with the Rockville city seal emblazoned on the rear doors. Inscribed on both front fenders are the words "If You SEE Something, SAY Something", with the words "EMERGENCY 911" emblazoned on the rear quarter panels.
In the 1990s, the RCPD's patrol cars were for the most part white Chevrolet Luminas and first-generation Ford Crown Victorias with a single blue stripe on the side running the entire length of the car from front to back. The Rockville city seal was emblazoned on both of the front doors, with the department's 10-digit phone number, "301-340-7300", inscribed on the front fenders, with the words "ROCKVILLE CITY POLICE" pasted on the rear quarter panels.
In the early mid-2000s the RCPD used Chevrolet Blazers and eighth-generation Chevrolet Impala 9C1s with a very similar livery design as the current one used presently in the 2010s, however the cars were painted white instead of grey and the motto on the front fenders were omitted. In the mid-2000s, the RCPD used Chevrolet Tahoes and Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptors with the cars' paint schemes were changed from white to grey.
Retired Rockville City Police Lieutenant Charles C. Bender, age 79, passed away May 27, 2015. Lt. Bender served the citizens of Rockville with distinction for 30 years from 1968-1998. He was one of the first motorcycle officers for the City. Our deepest condolences and prayers go out to his family.
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Rockville has maintained full accreditation status since 1994.
The Rockville City Police Department has been nationally accredited since 1994.
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It's Throwback Thursday and in our efforts in continuing to keep Rockville citizens safe, today's TBT dates back to April 1977 with the debut of the electric engraving pens used to identify Rockville resident's property during Operation Identification Program. #RCPDTBT
new from the Early 1980s
It's Throwback Thursday and the Rockville City Police Department is taking you all the way back 51 years. This article appeared in the October 1963 issue of the City of Rockville Newsletter. The Mayor and Council were considering a request to increase the four-man police department to regular patrol shifts after 6:00 p.m. to enable the use of radar at night to curb speeding.
He was the first African American police officer hired by the Rockville City Police Department in 1968. He also served as a volunteer for the Rockville Volunteer Fire Department. A viewing will be held for Officer Dyson on Friday, August 18 at the Snowden Funeral Home from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. followed by a funeral service at the Catholic Cemeteries of Washington in Silver Spring.
It's Flashback Friday and we've decided to flashback 42-years to 1972 when the Rockville City Police Department was just a small 9-person operation. Fast forward to June 2014 where our Department has grown to a total of 92 sworn and civilian staff members with our police headquarters in two buildings at the corner of West Montgomery Avenue and North Washington St. #flashbackfriday #RCPD
It's Flashback Friday and the Rockville City Police Department is taking you back 38 years ago to June 1976 when the Department welcomed aboard its very first Police Captain, Dennis Dempsey. The Department no longer has the rank of Captain, but rather three Majors who are each responsible for the oversight of their specific Bureau in the Department.
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We congratulate Chief on this well deserved honor and wish him all the best in his retirement.
39°4′53″N 77°9′6″W / 39.08139°N 77.15167°W