Upcounty leaders describe recent violent incidents and say town hall helped calm community concerns

Greg (speaker 5) told the council that advisory board members in the Upcounty reported a recent uptick in violent incidents in Germantown and Gaithersburg and described a two‑hour town hall held the prior evening with about 95 Zoom participants.

Greg credited council members and the chief of police with participating in the town hall and said the public meeting, which included emotional testimony from victims’ family members and students, helped calm some community concerns. He said police worked with residents to make arrests in at least one homicide case and that the Housing Opportunities Commission (HOC) assisted affected families, including moving some households quickly to safer locations.

Council members asked for additional follow‑up information. Council Vice President Glass asked staff to confirm rehousing status for families displaced by a recent individual fire and for details on transportation and school access; Jacob (speaker 4) said DHHS navigators remain in contact and that 'all but three to five units had been rehoused' as of last week. The council did not receive formal crime‑statistic reports during the briefing, and staff said they would follow up.

The council also heard that local advisory boards and grocery‑store openings are signs of economic activity in the Upcounty, but speakers cautioned that safety concerns must be addressed alongside business recovery. The session ended with requests that police and county staff provide written follow‑up including any available statistics and details of rehousing efforts.