FY24 Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Program

Montgomery County, Maryland is a vibrant community located within the Washington, DC metropolitan area. With a population of over 1 million people, it is the most populous and diverse county in Maryland.

Montgomery County has seen a significant increase in reporting of bias incidents in recent years. Specifically, bias incidents have increased in each of the last five years, with particular increases in incidents related to physical structures (e.g., churches, synagogues, mosques, schools).

These trends have led to new, county-wide initiatives in recent years, including the formation of an Anti-Hate Task Force. This Task Force produced a series of recommendations in December 2023, including specific recommendations for the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD). Some of the specific recommendations for MCPD included hiring additional staff to better track and investigate bias and hate crime incidents, and conducting public outreach events and internal trainings to improve citizen engagement and police conduct with respect to bias.

As part of this program, specific deliverables include (1) funding hate crime analyst positions, focused on identifying and investigating instances of hate crimes and bias incidents; (2) supporting annual training initiatives for police staff, including sworn officers, and (3) investing in security cameras for religious institutions and other physical locations. These cameras will be part of a coordinated, county-wide effort to monitor criminal activity at private locations, including businesses and residences.