1 week Ago By Brooke Conrad
Maryland Juvenile Services Secretary Vincent Schiraldi vowed to “stay on this job” while responding to members of the General Assembly and Baltimore residents who have called for his removal. Schiraldi spoke with media outlets Friday, telling WBAL-TV he believes people “have a right to feel safe in their home communities.” “I’m never gonna sort of push back on communities that are angry because they feel unsafe.
My job is to make it safer, and I’ll stay in this job as long as I’m allowed to,” he told the outlet. “I want those community members who are calling for my resignation to feel safe.” Schiraldi also spoke with in Washington, saying he’s “going to stay on this job and work as hard as I can as long as the governor is supportive of the direction we’re taking.
” Schiraldi’s comments follow a letter from Maryland’s Joint Republican Caucus on Oct. 1, calling for Democratic Gov. Wes Moore to remove him from his position.
More than a dozen Baltimore City community associations also have supported calls for Schiraldi’s removal, . A recent involving residents and business owners near Patterson Park claimed public safety is compromised by Schiraldi’s policies. Maryland Sen.
Ron Watson, a Prince George’s County Democrat, also called for curbing juvenile crime on Friday, saying “It’s time for Schiraldi to either specify his challenges so we can fix it or move on,” Watson said, according to When reached for comment on Saturday, a DJS spokesperson said Schiraldi would be made available to speak with The Baltimore Sun. Schiraldi announced changes on Oct. 1 to the .
Youth accused of a violent felony but not detained are now placed on electronic monitoring, while youth who are already on electronic monitoring and charged with a violent felony are detained. Another letter sent Oct. 18 by the Maryland Senate Republicans caucus called on Moore to remove Schiraldi from his position, citing the recent who was charged with after previously being charged with attempted murder, for which he was under an ankle monitor.
passed by the General Assembly earlier this year goes into effect Nov. 1. The law also expands the kinds of possible charges for 10- to 12-year-olds, including certain firearm offenses, aggravated animal cruelty and third-degree sex offenses.
It’s also designed to improve communication between DJS, police and local prosecutors..
