The day before the 2024 legislative session reconvenes, Governor Wes Moore announced his public safety priorities for the Maryland General Assembly.
Moore announced three bills his administration plans to prioritize. Legislation to reform victims' compensation, a bill to increase public safety apprenticeships, and create a center for firearm violence prevention and intervention.
None of the three specifically target juvenile crime, but he added that any juvenile justice bill that comes to his desk needs to be centered on accountability.
"We need accountability for kids that are repeatedly violating the law," says Moore. "I believe in rehabilitation, but I will not tolerate lawlessness."
Whilejuvenile complaints for 2023 were up from 2022, the number of complaints has come down over the last decade.
Governor Moore added that the principle of accountability is not just for kids who commit crimes but for the communities and leaders around them.
"It takes a village to raise a child and it will take a village to build safer communities."
Moore also expressed his confidence in the Department of Juvenile Service's Secretary Vincent Schiraldi.
We spoke with Schiraldi at the end of 2023 about the progress his department has made since he started, which he highlighted again on Tuesday.
Specifically, Schiraldi spoke about the Thrive Academy program which identifies the most at-risk kids and works with them to help them thrive and launched in Baltimore in September.
The General Assembly reconvenes on Wednesday, January 10, at noon.
