Acting Maryland DJS secretary highlights efforts taken to drop juvenile crime numbers
Betsy Fox Tolentino, the acting secretary of Maryland's Department of Juvenile Services (DJS), says juvenile crime is down despite residents saying they still feel unsafe and more needs to be done to address the violence.
Fox Tolentino, who sat down exclusively with WJZ's Tara Lynch, said she's working to create lasting change in just her first six months in a system that's come under fire for years.
She says juvenile crime is trending down, which means some of the immediate changes the agency has made are working.
"We're seeing that when we hold people accountable, and we have the right level of community support, we can really see a drop in violent crime," Fox Tolentino said.
Adjusting policies for repeat offenders and juveniles committing crimes on ankle monitors was top of the list for the acting secretary.
Fox Tolentino says DJS staff keep track of all juveniles on electronic monitoring and can perform check-ins 24/7. She says staff can see if a juvenile is somewhere they shouldn't be and intervene before a crime is committed.
If a crime is committed while they are serving community detention, the juvenile can be detained until the next court appearance.
"We've had to activate that policy 22 times in the past six months. My goal is to drop that number down," Fox Tolentino added.
In the last six months, the acting secretary says millions of dollars have been invested in Baltimore City, providing more support and resources for juveniles in the system.
"For the first time in nearly a decade, we brought evidence-based services back to Baltimore City. How do we hold them accountable? But how do we build accountability through a system by creating the right level of intervention and support around them?" Fox Tolentino said.
However, she says that significant change takes time. As crime numbers continue to come down, she hopes community members feel safer statewide.
"We've experienced some declines in juvenile crime. That's great and I don't talk about that that much because we still have so much more work to do," Fox Tolentino said.
While data has been publicly available, DJS says it is launching a crime dashboard in 2026. The dashboard will track new offenders versus repeat offenders, types of crimes committed, and ages of juveniles charged with these crimes.
Juvenile crime concerns neighbors statewide
WJZ heard from Maryland residents, expressing their concerns about juvenile crime and repeat offenders.
Crime sprees, violent carjackings, and committing violent crimes while on ankle monitors have many people questioning what's being done to address juvenile crime.
A series of carjackings in East Baltimore led to the arrest of the 13-year-old boy, who police said had 18 prior felony arrests for crimes in the city.
Rampage Reeses works near the 2300 block of Guilford Avenue, which is one of the locations where Baltimore police said the 13-year-old carried out a violent crime spree in July.
"They should try a lot more things, because clearly being arrested has not done anything," Reeses told WJZ Investigates in July.
A 14-year-old repeat offender was arrested for a violent crime spree in Northeast Baltimore on Sunday, June 22, police said. WJZ learned the teenager was on GPS monitoring at the time of his arrest.
Baltimore police said the 14-year-old's crime spree started Sunday at 12:18 a.m. when the teen stole a car on Northbourne Road.
That is the same area where a 14-year-old was placed on GPS monitoring after stealing a car in May and crashing, injuring several people. They found a BB gun and a screwdriver inside the vehicle during that incident.
"With a monitor on and a gun? It's getting out of hand. Somebody needs to do something," Sherri Stewart told WJZ Investigates in June.
In July, video obtained by WJZ shows a pastor from a Connecticut church fighting back as he was carjacked at gunpoint while visiting Baltimore on June 29.
Pastor Kenneth Moales Jr., who serves as the Bishop-Elect for the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Bridgeport, Connecticut, told WJZ that he was meeting friends for dinner on East Pratt Street in Upper Fells Point when a teenager approached his car and demanded that he get out.
The pastor said he fought back until the teen got away and drove off with the car.
"Puts the gun to the window, starts taping it, like get out the car now. you begin to think, like, what is going on, like I'm about to get carjacked," the Pastor recounted.
In May, a Maryland teenager was charged after police said he drove a stolen car and caused a deadly four-vehicle crash in Howard County.
Police said the stolen Hyundai was on Guilford Avenue in Jessup when it collided head-on with another car, killing the driver, 69-year-old Bonnie Fuller Griffith.
A 16-year-old from Laurel, Maryland, is facing auto manslaughter charges and vehicle theft, and three other juveniles who fled the scene remain on the loose.
"I would like the laws to be changed so that children who make 'adult decisions' are treated like adults," Charrelle Ferguson told WJZ Investigates.
Legislative priorities in 2026
With the legislative session starting next month, the acting secretary says she will review any proposed legislation to address juvenile crime.
She did not go as far as to commit to supporting strengthening juvenile crime laws.
"I'll look at each one of those pieces of legislation as they come, evaluate how they will impact the agency, whether they align with best practices, and then provide my feedback," Fox Tolentino explained.
She said she is looking forward to being confirmed when the General Assembly convenes in January. Additionally, she is hoping to secure funding to continue providing support to juveniles who need them and more resources for frontline staff.
