On June 5, two seniors at Germantown’s Northwest High School were killed in a hail of bullets the night before they were set to graduate. On June 17, the Montgomery County Police Department announced the arrests of three suspects. Shadi…
Author Archive for Scott Harris
Community Mourns, Seeks Answers in Shooting Deaths of Local Teens
by Scott Harris • • Comments Off
Germantown teen Artem Ziberov was laid to rest in an emotional ceremony Saturday, even as county police continue to investigate leads that might identify who shot him and his classmate, Shadi Adi Najjar, to death. Ziberov, 18, and Najjar, 17,…
Carrying a Torch for Special Olympics
by Scott Harris • • Comments Off
The law enforcement community is known as a close-knit family. But it’s also an extended family. For decades now, police departments around the nation have supported the Special Olympics and its athletes. The Montgomery County Police Department and a host…
Officer and Artist Creates an Interesting Juxtaposition
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When John Duke walks into his house after a long shift as a police officer, he’s like most other officers: He wants to relax. But he goes about it a little differently. After grabbing an iced coffee, he sits down…
Autism/IDD Night Out Benefits All Involved
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The event has a long name and a very simple purpose: protecting some of Montgomery County’s most vulnerable people. On May 19, the Montgomery County Police Department hosts the fifth Autism/Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Night Out. For the first…
‘Not Talking Like Cops’—Verbal De-Escalation Training Provides New Tool
by Scott Harris • • Comments Off
In police parlance, de-escalation refers to any number of tactics used to peacefully resolve conflict—or prevent conflict from happening in the first place. In recent months, law enforcement officers and agencies across the United States have been the target of…
Community Mourns Homeless Woman
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Kathleen Garlington would turn on a dime. One moment, she was intelligent and thoughtful. An accomplished pianist, she loved music and art and animals. The next, she would be screaming at the top of her lungs, insisting spies were out…
Police Advise Vigilance on Gang Activity
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As proceedings continue after the recent death of a Gaithersburg teen, county police are asking residents to work with police in reporting and ending gang-related activity. On Feb. 11, the remains of Gaithersburg resident Damaris Alexandra Reyes Rivas were uncovered…
Gaithersburg Crimes Declined in 2016
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Serious crimes like rapes and aggravated assaults declined nearly 9 percent in Gaithersburg in 2016, according to the Gaithersburg Police Department. In its 2016 annual report, the department noted that serious or “Part I” crimes went down by 8.9 percent…
What to Do If You’re the Victim of an Egging
by Scott Harris • • Comments Off
Gaithersburg police are keeping an eye out for vandals after an unknown person or group pelted private property with eggs in local neighborhoods. Five separate reports occurred on Feb. 26-27, with the vandals targeting mainly houses, but also one vehicle.…