I would recommend pulling up the background materials document for this work session and going through it. One of the interesting facts in there is the order of dispatch. I had been under the impression that a recent change in policy had the County responding first to calls in the City, then the City police. However, it appears the first two calls go out to the county:

Order of Dispatch
  • MCP has 3 Sectors in the City – Paul, Robert and Sam
  • Each sector has 2 beats. GPD officers are to answer calls for service in their beat when they are available
  • CAD recommended order of dispatch is to deplete MCP sector cars before calling GPD. For example, a call in the Sam 1 beat, the order of dispatch is as follows:
    • MCP Sam 1 car(s)
    • MCP Sam 2 car(s)
    • GPD Frederick beat car(s)
    • GPD Citywide unit(s)
    • GPD Seneca beat car(s)
    • All other MCP cars

Note that, in reading this document, the beats are a bit confusing if you don’t already know about them. As mentioned, the County sectors — Paul, Robert and Sam — are each split into two beats, e.g. Sam 1 and Sam 2. These territories are shown in this map. The map shown in the background materials, on the other hand, also shows six beats, but those are the City beats, which don’t line up precisely with the County beats (note e.g. that City beats 5 and 6 as shown in the PDF are split along Quince Orchard Road, while that road is fully within County beat Paul 2). However, you’ll only see two City beats mentioned in the PDF, “Frederick” and “Seneca”. As I understand it, the City has a long-range plan for six beats, but they don’t have the staff to do this at this time. The Frederick beat is what is shown as beats 1 through 3 (east of I-270), and the Seneca beat is the other three beats.

Also note that on page 29, where the monthly statistics are shown, the headings on the top table should be the same as the headings on the lower table. Once I figured that out, it made a lot more sense.

From the City’s website:

Agenda - Work Session: Emergency Management, Police Beat, 7/28/2008
Posted 7/18/2008

City of Gaithersburg
WORK SESSION

Mayor and City Council
Monday, July 28, 2008
7:30 P.M.