 |
Montgomery County Citizen Academy Alumni Association (MCCAAA) |  |
Acting Chief Darren Francke will speak to the MCCAAA on October 15th at 7 PM. A member of law enforcement for over 30 years, he is a widower and lives in Montgomery County with his three daughters. Francke graduated from Pennsylvania State University in 1996 with a degree in Administration of Justice. During college he joined the Pennsylvania Army National Guard as an enlisted infantryman. He subsequently attended Officer Candidate School and accepted a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant. He joined the Montgomery County Department of Police in 1996 and has served there since. As a police officer and executive, Francke has served in every bureau of the Department. His positions included patrol officer for all three shifts, District Investigations, Robbery Detective, Homicide and Sex Detective, Patrol Sergeant, and Leadership Development Sergeant. As an executive, he has served as a Deputy District Commander, Patrol Services Executive Officer, Training and Education Division Director and Major Crimes Division Director. As an Assistant Chief he has overseen the Management Services Bureau and served as Chief of Patrol. During his career he has taught leadership nationally and internationally for the International Association of Chiefs of Police. During his off time, he enjoys coaching his daughter's fastpitch softball team with a community youth sports association, golfs, and is the camera dad for the Damascus High School soccer team.
We will be hearing from the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security about Emergency Preparedness Operations on November 19th.
On December 17th, Officer Jayme Derbyshire will be speaking. Officer Derbyshire recently received the Peter K. O'Rourke Special Achievement Award from the Governors Highway Safety Association in recognition of her efforts to advance traffic safety through innovative enforcement programs, policy leadership, research partnerships and community engagement. Officer Derbyshire developed Montgomery County's Green Lab program for cannabis-impaired driving training, helped expand its model to other states, supported DUI and DUID legislation in Maryland, advanced roadside oral fluid testing, strengthened prosecutor and officer training, and contributed her expertise to the GHSA, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and other national roadway safety organizations.
The Montgomery County Citizen Academy Alumni Association (MCCAAA) is for graduates of the Citizen Academy and holds monthly meetings with speakers on subjects relating to public safety in Montgomery County, Maryland. MCCAAA is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions. MCCAAA holds monthly meetings on the third Thursday of each month at the Public Service Training Academy, 9751 Snouffer School Road, Gaithersburg. All meetings begin at 7 pm unless otherwise noted. Click here for the MCCAAA Brochure and Membership Form.
The Montgomery County Citizen Academy (MCCA), established in 1994, is an extension of the Department’s community policing efforts. Participants learn how the police department works and gain a better understanding of what is required for officers to perform their duties. For details on applying, contact PO3 Prince Starks-Bey at 240-773-6900. Applications can be emailed to citizen.academy@montgomerycountymd.gov.
The next available Citizen Academy is tentatively scheduled to begin in February or March of 2027. Session 79 of the Citizen Academy runs from May 12, through August 18, 2026. If you have friends or family interested in the program, have them send in their application by email so we can enroll them. The academy is held on consecutive Tuesday evenings from 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Public Safety Training Academy, 8751 Snouffer School Road in Gaithersburg.
Copyright © 2026 by the Montgomery County (Maryland) Citizen Academy Alumni Association. Please Contact Us with comments or suggestions about MCCAAA or this website. This document was last modified on .