Maryland governor issues directive to DJS to develop youth summer safety strategy

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is calling for the state's Department of Juvenile Services to develop a summer safety strategy that will keep young people out of trouble.

In a directive to DJS Secretary Betsy Fox Tolentino, the governor said the department, along with other state agencies, needs to develop a plan.

Moore said the plan should focus on prevention and intervention programs for high-risk young people while expanding education and workforce development programs.

A status report from DJS is due next month.

"Public safety continues to be my top priority, and the progress our administration has made reflects what is possible when the government works with urgency and purpose," Moore wrote in his directive to DJS.

Priorities for the Youth Summer Safety Strategy

Gov. Moore set out a list of youth summer strategies that he wants the DJS to address.

They include:

• Prioritizing prevention and intervention programs for high-risk youth and their families.
• Expanding education and workforce programming for the youth that will pave the way for opportunities and long-term success.
• Implement targeted intervention measures for repeat juvenile offenders.
• Redirecting rising adults who are not under DJS jurisdiction (16 to 21-year-olds) toward support programming and resources.
• Finding collaborative solutions to address community concerns, including illegal street car rallies, teen takeovers, and other juvenile crime.
• Supporting community programs and resources at the county and municipal level, and helping improve on what's working.
• Find opportunities for legislative or policy fixes to address gaps in the law that limit the state's ability to intervene effectively.

"Summer is a critical time," Moore said. "I want to ensure that this Safe Summer Strategy reflects proper coordination amongst our public safety agencies, closes any remaining gaps in summer programming across the state, and advances the three public safety goals of accountability, violence prevention, and direct intervention."

What Gov. Moore says about Maryland's crime

Gov. Moore said in his letter that since he took over as the state's governor, Maryland homicides have declined by 44% and non-fatal shootings have declined by 40%.

The governor added that this year, homicides in Maryland are down more than 25% compared to last year, and are "reaching their lowest rate in nearly 40 years."

Moore said that juvenile homicide victims have decreased by nearly 25% in the past year.

"These results are not by accident," Moore said. "They are a product of our all-of-the-above approach to making communities safer. But there is still work to do."