Police union warns of poor conditions at 4th District station in Montgomery County

Police union warns of poor conditions at 4th District station

The Montgomery County police union is calling on officials to address what it describes as deplorable working conditions inside the county’s 4th District police station.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. - A FOX 5 Exclusive: the Montgomery County Police Union is waiving a red flag on what they say are deplorable working conditions inside the 4th District Police Station. 

What we know:

4D sits on Randolph Road in Wheaton and serves the Wheaton-Glenmont community. From outside, the building looks just fine. However, inside, the police union says what the public doesn't see are serious issues that include mold, sewage back-ups — one member described black sludge seeping from the walls; another member described dead rodents being pulled from the ceiling and mushrooms growing from the floor. 

The police union provided photos from the past couple of years that appear to show some of the described unsanitary conditions.

FOX 5 is told over 100 offers are based out of 4D, with around six staff members assigned to work inside the 4th District throughout their entire shifts. 

Union leadership says members have reported health issues such as long-standing headaches and respiratory problems, that include coughing and sneezing. 

What they're saying:

Montgomery County Police Sgt. Philip Meyer tells FOX 5 he spent around 20 years of his 23-year career with the department, working out of the 4th District Police Station. "I'll say this. If this was a school and this was MCPS, would they be in this building? Would students come to this building? Would kids come to this building? I don't know, you tell me. But we have to," said Meyer. 

The police union says the 4th District Police Station was actually condemned about 20 years ago, but county dollars were spent on making repairs. Online, you can see 4D has long been on the county's radar as one of a few buildings that need to be addressed. There are talks of moving members out of the station, but some officials are concerned the county's decision makers may just be kicking the can down the road. 

"If the folks come in DGS and they're measuring carpet and nobody tells them why — and nobody gives them any reassurance that we are getting a new station, then the rank-and-file officers think it's just more of the same, and that's not acceptable," said Montgomery County Councilmember Dawn Luedtke. She is one of a few councilmembers who have raised 4D concerns at council hearings over the years. 

Lisa Titus, with UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO, represents the half a dozen professional staffers who have to stay inside the 4th District Police Station for their entire shifts. 

"They're frustrated. They're concerned clearly. They constantly see mold, mildew. Insects, roaches, they have sewer flies that they see once a month. They're told to just pour hot water down a drain to fix it. Their concern is that their concerns about these conditions are not truly being addressed. That they are just simply band-aid fixes — just a fresh coat of paint, replacing the ceiling tiles, but not truly address, identifying what the issues are," said Titus. 

Who's responsible?

"The council holds the money; the executive is there to fulfill the obligations of putting this forward. We're getting mixed signals of actually what's going on or NOT going on," said Montgomery County FOP Lodge 35 President Lee Holland, "There's a lot of planning — doing, merging with Park to building its own facility. We don't know. That's why we want an actual plan of what's going on. Give us a timeline because the conditions here are not fair for officers who work at this station."

Dig deeper:

FOX 5 reached out and received this response from the Montgomery County Department of General Services (DGS):

"The health and safety of all County employees are paramount. The Montgomery County Department of General Services (DGS) promptly addresses any concerns about workplace facilities or vehicles in a timely manner. DGS has been performing regular repairs at the 4th District police building, including responding to and mitigating mold at this facility. The mold issue was caused by condensation from the HVAC system, which has been repaired. Initial planning for a replacement 4th District police station co-located with a new MNCPPC Park Police Station is currently underway.  Work to advance this project is currently under discussion as the County Executive develops his FY27-32 Capital Improvement Program." 

DGS also provided and outline of some of the work done to 4D, which DGS says stems from an HVAC issue they started receiving complaints about in 2023. The is contracting with a company. The work done by either the contracted company (CBS), DGS' Division of Facility Management (DFM) or either entity includes: fixing leaks, repairing air damper issues, replacing thermostats, installing de-humidifiers, repairing holes in the basement cinderblock walls, fixing lighting controls.

The Department of General Services also noted certain requests that the Montgomery County Police Department has made for 4D, which includes replacing blinds, adding window film, adding fencing and painting. 

The estimates provided for the MCPD requests are significant: 

• Blinds: $7,145.60
• Window Film: $15,930.00
• Lighting control issue upgrades: $24,117.00
• Replacing carpeted areas where ongoing condensation issues exist: $115,000.00
• Security mesh fence with gromets: $8,221.81
• Painting selected areas: $31,668.00

FOX 5 did not receive a line-item breakdown of what it cost for DGS or the county's DFM to make their listed 4D repairs. We also did not receive information on what it costs the contracted company to make their repairs. 

For the police union, this is all part of a larger, long-standing problem with an outdated building — and they want the county's taxpayers to know about it.