By Adam Pagnucco.
UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO, which represents most county employees outside of MCPS, has filed a grievance against the county after two of its members were attacked during a crisis center call. In its press release, the union describes a chaotic scene on December 15 in which crisis team members were victimized by a knife-wielding, vandalizing assailant before police ultimately responded. MCGEO claims that the incident violated its collective bargaining agreement, which mandates law enforcement protection during high-risk crisis team activities.
The most interesting content in the press release is MCGEO President Gino Renne’s contention that the incident reflects a decision by the county to prioritize education spending above all other functions of government. Here’s what Gino had to say about that.
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“The County’s yearly budget process reflects a clear pattern of prioritizing education at the expense of all the other critical services. Meanwhile, public safety, public health, child and senior protective services, recreation, libraries and all the other essential services that the community depends on 24/7 go underfunded and understaffed. Maintaining a great school system is critically important. However, adequately funding all other County services is equally important.”
“The current funding imbalance doesn’t just strain systems, in this case, it perpetuates dangerous conditions where our members are expected to be first responders without the tools, backup, or authority to stay safe. The next County Executive and County Council need to roll up their sleeves and quit adopting political budgets and do the hard work of figuring out how to fund operational budgets that adequately fund all the services that collectively make Mongomery County an educated, safe and healthy community.”
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MCGEO’s full press release appears below.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 13, 2026
Contact:
Ryan Conlon, UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO Union Representative
rconlon@mcgeo.org
Gino Renne, President, UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO
grenne@mcgeo.org
County Failed to Protect Crisis Center Workers During Violent Mobile Crisis Response
Union Files Grievance After Workers Threatened with Death, Witness Brutal Stabbing Without Police Presence
Montgomery County, MD – Montgomery County failed to provide a safe and healthy work environment for Crisis Center employees when it dispatched workers to an extremely volatile Mobile Crisis Outreach Team (MCOT) call without a law enforcement presence, according to a grievance filed by UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO.
The grievance stems from a December 15, 2025, MCOT response in the Rockville area in which two Health and Human Services bargaining unit members were sent into a rapidly escalating and violent situation without police, without clear protocols, and without adequate protections.
Upon arrival, the workers were confronted by a client who aggressively approached their vehicle, kicked it, punched the windows, and threatened to kill both employees. As the workers attempted to retreat and contact 911, the client escalated further—damaging vehicles, jumping on the hood of the crisis team’s vehicle and caving it in, and ultimately assaulting their mother with a knife in full view of the crisis team workers.
“The County put these workers in an impossible position,” said Ryan Conlon, senior union representative from MCGEO. “They were sent to a call that clearly required law enforcement support, yet police were not dispatched with them. Instead, our members were left to navigate a life-threatening situation on their own while a violent assault unfolded. They had to struggle to keep themselves and others alive. It is just horrifying what they faced.”
Police ultimately arrived only after the situation had spiraled out of control. By then, the client had already threatened County employees with death and violently attacked a family member, resulting in serious injuries.
The union’s grievance alleges that Montgomery County violated Article 34 (Safety and Health) of the Collective Bargaining Agreement by failing to implement policies and procedures that mandate a law enforcement presence during high-risk MCOT responses.
“This was not a freak incident. This was a predictable outcome of a system that sends health care workers into dangerous situations without clear rules, training, or backup,” said Conlon. “Crisis Center employees are not law enforcement, and they should never be treated as such.”
County officials had advance notice that Montgomery County’s mental health crisis response system was strained, under-resourced, and failing both residents and frontline workers.
A September 2025 Office of Legislative Oversight (OLO) report, commissioned by the County Council, found that the County was falling short in its response to mental health crisis and support calls, even as demand continued to rise. The report documented systemic gaps in crisis response capacity and coordination—issues that directly affect the safety of both the public and crisis workers.
At the same time, calls for county mental health crisis services increased 17% from fiscal year 2024 to fiscal year 2025, with more than 114,000 mental health–related calls made to county helplines and 911 in 2024 alone. Despite these clear warning signs, Montgomery County did not implement mandatory safety protocols requiring law enforcement support for high-risk Mobile Crisis Outreach Team (MCOT) responses.
Local 1994 President Gino Renne noted:
“The County’s yearly budget process reflects a clear pattern of prioritizing education at the expense of all the other critical services. Meanwhile, public safety, public health, child and senior protective services, recreation, libraries and all the other essential services that the community depends on 24/7 go underfunded and understaffed. Maintaining a great school system is critically important. However, adequately funding all other County services is equally important.”
“The current funding imbalance doesn’t just strain systems, in this case, it perpetuates dangerous conditions where our members are expected to be first responders without the tools, backup, or authority to stay safe. The next County Executive and County Council need to roll up their sleeves and quit adopting political budgets and do the hard work of figuring out how to fund operational budgets that adequately fund all the services that collectively make Mongomery County an educated, safe and healthy community.”
Union leaders also say the December 15 incident reflects exactly what experts and oversight bodies cautioned would happen when crisis workers are dispatched alone into volatile and potentially violent situations.
“This was not a surprise, and it was not unavoidable,” said Conlon. “The County was warned—by its own data, by its own reports, and by the lived experience of our members. Failing to act puts workers in danger.”
The grievance calls for immediate corrective action, including:
- Mandatory simultaneous dispatch of law enforcement for MCOT calls
- Standardized, written Crisis Center policies and procedures
- Police radio training and MCOT training for all Crisis Center staff
- Clear rules regarding the use of personal vehicles
- Negotiations to establish enforceable safety protocols reviewed quarterly
Union leaders warn that without swift action, County employees and community members remain at risk.
“Worker safety is not optional. And it cannot wait until someone is seriously injured—or worse,” said Conlon. “Montgomery County must act now to fix what is clearly broken.”