Md.'s new Dept. of Juvenile Services Secretary wants more to be done to fight youth crime
WASHINGTON (7News) — There is a new person in charge of attacking rising teen crime in Maryland.
Maryland’s new Department of Juvenile Services Secretary Vincent Schiraldi said it's clear to him that most kids committing crime in Maryland belong in juvenile court and not tried as adults. He also has concerns about how the state is working with communities and law enforcement when it comes to dealing with teen crime.
“We don’t work as well as we could with people in communities who are working with young people every day. We don’t work as well as we could with law enforcement, and I think that’s an area we need to improve on. It’s going to be one of my biggest priorities," said Schiraldi.
Schiraldi supported a controversial new state law recently passed that prevents children 13 and younger from facing low-level criminal charges.
In a recent case, the new law prevented a 12-year-old boy from being charged, according to Anne Arundel County Police Department. The boy brought a gun, a loaded magazine and ammo to a school in Fort Meade, Md.
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That prompted the police department to release a long list of juvenile suspects who were tracked down by investigators but were never charged including cases of assault, drug charges and sex offenses.
It's clear many police departments across the state don't agree with allowing teens who commit crimes to just walk away.
"When you have a 12-year-old or an 11-year-old in a detention facility with a bunch of 17 and 18-year-olds, all you’re doing is teaching that kid how to become a worse criminal," added Schiraldi.
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Even with a rise in juvenile crime, Schiraldi said most children are being prosecuted in juvenile court and not the adult court.
“When you put young people in the adult system, they really don’t do well," Schiraldi said.
Schiraldi said the systems in place, right now, appear to be working for the majority of kids but he wants to provide more community programming and accountability.
