While the County Council and County Executive continue to pander to activists to the exclusion of all others, here is a sampling of comments from a NextDoor feed. It illustrates the crime concerns of ordinary Montgomery County residents. Maybe the Council should step out of their echo chamber?
- “Yes, we have a serious crime problem in MoCo.”
- “We need to come to grips with the fact that our county is facing a major crime problem and we need to fix it.”
- “There’s no way police can be everywhere. Best bets are rigorous prosecutions with stiff sentences. That and some people choose to arm themselves.”
- “Something needs to be done about what is going on. The crooks need to be taken out of the streets.”
- “I hope that everyone commenting here or in any discussion on NextDoor about a crime or crime in general will contact their local and state officials to ask what their plan is to deal with crime, and to demand that they develop and implement one if they don’t have one or won’t give a straight answer.”
- “We have a problem in Montgomery County, we’re losing police officers by the droves. The ones I know tell me they are not getting any support from the county government and are going to forces where they are treated better.”
- “Police are leaving at a faster rate than they can be vetted, hired, trained and put out on the road.”
- “This is the result of your county ‘leadership’ placing a higher value on criminals than police.”
- “Just look at the recent proposals to reduce the effectiveness of police by disallowing traffic stops on the heels of serious criminal arrests stemming from traffic stops.”
- “Why bother to register your car or get insurance? DUI enforcement will cease.”
- “Have you checked the latest bill regarding expired license plates and tinted windows…perfect for thugs.”
- “Very noticeable uptick in crime in the last few months.”
- “Wheaton is becoming the ‘New Baltimore.’”
- “Horrible. No neighborhood is safe any longer.”
- “People need to not just look at data but also go out and talk to their county cops and ask them what they think is going on since they are in the thick of all this. That is what I did and still do. Many MC residents are very sheltered and a bit spoiled; and they base their opinions solely on what they read and not experience. Sometimes that is good but not always. I recall talking to someone who was ardently pro-gun. He pointed out that I live in a safe neighborhood… He said that people who don’t live in upper income neighborhoods don’t have this luxury. …in these lower income areas the residents are left completely helpless unless they are gun owners.”
- “Just look to Baltimore. That is what is coming here. Buy a gun. Get training. Get a CCW or move to a far place. Montgomery Co was once a great place to live. No longer.”
- “I have lived in this area for 66 years I was born here living the same house never moved out of twinbrook and twinbrook is becoming a you know what hole. Everyone should be able to carry who wants to it will deter thieves away.”
- “Criminals come to areas where people have valuable things. They aren’t robbing their own neighborhoods. They also know MoCo is an unarmed haven for anti-gun citizens. It’s easy pickings and they don’t have to fear any recourse for their actions. If there was a higher possibility that they would encounter an armed person, they would be less likely to commit crimes. They don’t fear jail or the police.”
- “In Rockville town square, I was heading to my car at night after visiting friends and was jumped by 3 people, short story: managed to get to my car but was held at gunpoint.”
- “The fact that Ppl are running about MoCo with rifles is so crazy and scary.”
- “New Montgomery County proposal to prohibit police officers to stop and search vehicles for some offenses….. And we wonder why we have such an escalated crime situation in Montgomery County??? Montgomery County bill limiting traffic stops to be introduced. What is going on here?!?!? Why???”
- “What is the county’s plan to deal with crime? Where is the comprehensive plan to deal with public safety? If we each ask our local (state and county) legislators and County Exec and the Governor these questions and demand real – not rhetorical – answers, maybe we will finally get somewhere. Otherwise, things will likely to just continue to get worse, to be accepted as normal or acceptable, which they are not.”
- “The local police have their hands tied by politicians. Police have also lost most of their immunity on split second decision making. It’s a joke how MoCo is being run. Criminals have clearly taken notice and are exploiting it.”
