ANNAPOLIS, MD - A growing number of law enforcement leaders in Maryland are urging Governor Wes Moore to address the surge in juvenile crime and take decisive action. In a recent move, 19 of the state's 24 county sheriffs have called for the resignation of Vincent Schiraldi, the Department of Juvenile Services secretary, citing concerns over current laws that they believe hinder accountability.
The sheriffs, who have voiced frustration over what they describe as an escalating crisis, argue that juvenile-related violent crime has spiked by 95%, with robberies increasing by 108%. They blame recent legislation for tying their hands in dealing with young offenders.
"Regardless of how serious the crime is, rarely is a juvenile detained today," said Wicomico County Sheriff Mike Lewis.
Many sheriffs echo similar frustrations, pointing to what they describe as a "catch-and-release" system that keeps juveniles on the streets shortly after being apprehended.
"It's a constant catch-and-release project that we are forced to participate in based on lawmakers' decisions," Lewis added.
Queen Anne's County Sheriff Gary Hofmann explained the impact on law enforcement morale. "The juveniles hit the street, I mean, hours and moments after police contact. The police have contact with them, they're back out on the street doing what they normally do, and the deputies are sitting here writing reports for something we can't even charge them for," Hofmann said.
However, Secretary Vincent Schiraldi defends the current approach, emphasizing the importance of rehabilitation rather than detention.
"We believe it's important not to make them more hardened by the system. So if a kid is low risk, or even medium risk, the system before I got here was putting them into things like electronic monitoring, or even reporting centers or counseling programs," said Schiraldi.
Schiraldi also pointed to successes, stating, "19 out of 20 times when we put a kid on an electronic monitor, they don't get arrested. But that means one out of 20 times they do. And the thing that many prosecutors and people in law enforcement experience is the one out of 20, so it feels like it's failing."
He added that the number of juveniles arrested for homicide has decreased by 26%, and non-fatal shootings involving juveniles have dropped by 46%.
Despite these statistics, Caroline County Sheriff Donald Baker stressed the need for stricter accountability for young offenders. "I think they need to take a deep dive and look into what laws they need to enact to assist law enforcement and juvenile services in holding juveniles accountable," said Baker.
Baker also stressed that crime numbers are skewed. "When you stop counting certain things, then yes you can say they went down. But the problem is that from years passed crime is absolutely up."
In a statement, Governor Moore's administration emphasized its commitment to holding youth accountable while providing rehabilitation. The governor's office highlighted millions of dollars invested in direct care services for youth under the Department of Juvenile Services' supervision.
Schiraldi remains firm in his role and plans to continue discussions with law enforcement leaders to find common ground on addressing juvenile crime.
Governor Wes Moore's Statement:
Since day one, Governor Moore has made a commitment to ensure the safety of all Marylanders which is reflected in the significant decrease Maryland has seen in overall homicide and non-fatal shooting rates.
Governor Moore knows everyone wants to ensure their family is safe. He understands the concerns that have been presented and believes that all of Maryland’s children deserve to grow up in a community they trust and in a home where they can thrive.
Over the past year, Governor Moore has made a concerted effort to both hold accountable and rehabilitate youth who are justice-involved. As a result, Maryland has seen a 26% decline in juvenile homicide arrests and 46% decline in non-fatal shootings of juveniles. Maryland is also continuing to hold bad actors accountable, the state has seen a 19.6% total increase in youth in custody.
These significant changes come after historic investments in public safety from the Moore-Miller Administration, including $119 million to local police departments across the state, $60.5 Million in funding to support victim services, and $268 million for community and residential operations to provide direct care services to youth under the Department of Juvenile Services’ supervision.
The governor is fully committed to working with local elected officials, law enforcement, the judiciary, and community leaders to improve public safety by holding youth accountable and rehabilitating them.
