Recent incidents involving young people in Baltimore have captured the attention of many residents who are calling for change. Some lawmakers are calling for the replacement of the leader of the Department of Juvenile Services, and the Maryland Senate president said this week he will ensure every state agency is held to account.

But what does accountability look like? It’s a question some Maryland leaders — and residents — have been trying to answer. Juvenile crime continues to be a point of frustration, and high-profile examples have amplified the concern.

Early Tuesday morning, a 17-year-old boy pulled a gun on a 31-year-old man in the Brewers Hill neighborhood near Canton, according to Baltimore police. The Southeastern District Police Community Relations Council said the teen was attempting to carjack the driver. A Baltimore police spokesperson said they could not confirm that narrative but said the driver and teen exchanged gunfire.

On Sept. 26, a 66-year-old man was walking from his car to his home in the Butchers Hill neighborhood near Patterson Park when he was attacked by a group of juveniles. The man described what happened, saying one of the teens put a gun in his face and an altercation unfolded. The attack was captured on surveillance video, and the group of teens can be seen pushing, kicking and stomping on the man’s head.

The victim said there were five suspects who attacked him. Baltimore Police were able to track down and arrest two of them: Montaz Bailey, 18, and an unidentified 15-year-old boy. The 15-year-old suspect was taken to the Baltimore City Juvenile Justice Center “to request a review for detention,” according to Baltimore Police, but he was released to a guardian. The 15-year-old and Bailey both have prior arrests, according to police.

While the 15-year-old suspect was originally released by the Department of Juvenile Services, Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates announced the 15-year-old is also facing attempted first-degree murder charges and is being charged as an adult.

Senate President Bill Ferguson and other District 46 lawmakers issued a statement when news first broke that the 15-year-old suspect was released to his guardian.

“The situation is all too reminiscent of what occurred last year just off Patterson Park Avenue, which is part of what prompted the General Assembly to pass reforms to our juvenile justice system earlier this year,” the statement read.

The statement said the group of lawmakers — including Delegates Luke Clippinger, Robbyn Lewis and Mark Edelson, in addition to Sen. Ferguson — is in touch with Department of Juvenile Services Secretary Vincent Schiraldi for more information “to better understand how something like this could happen again.”

Senate President Ferguson said he called Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley and requested an increased patrol presence in Southeast Baltimore to be coordinated between the Southeastern and Central command districts after the attack of the 66-year-old man in the Butchers Hill neighborhood.

That increased police presence was evident during the Brewers Hill double shooting, Sen. Ferguson said, since an officer was flagged down close to where the incident took place.

“Regardless, when people don’t feel safe, they take safety into their own hands, and that’s a recipe for chaos,” Sen. Ferguson said in a statement.

Both the Brewers Hill and Butchers Hill incidents occurred in Senate President Ferguson’s district. While some, like community leader Arch McKown and Republicans in the House and Senate, have called for DJS Secretary Vincent Schiraldi to be replaced, Senate President Ferguson hasn’t gone that far yet.

“The recent incidents of juvenile crime in Butchers Hill and Canton are so beyond unacceptable and represent my biggest concerns about what can happen when people don’t feel safe,” Sen. Ferguson said in a statement. “The 46th District Delegates and I will continue holding every agency to account until we achieve real public safety for all of our city’s neighborhoods.”

It’s unclear exactly what that accountability Sen. Ferguson talked about will mean moving forward. Gov. Wes Moore has not directly answered the question about whether he still supports DJS Secretary Schiraldi.

“We are going to continue working together to make sure that our communities are safe,” Gov. Moore said when asked if he thought Secretary Schiraldi should keep his job.

Follow-up questions to Gov. Moore’s office regarding his stance on the leader of DJS — whom Gov. Moore appointed — went unanswered.

After the brutal attack caught on surveillance video, DJS Secretary Schiraldi announced department-wide policy changes. Now, a juvenile who is accused of committing a violent felony and is not detained will be placed on electronic monitoring. If a juvenile is already on electronic monitoring, and they are accused of committing another violent felony, the juvenile will be detained.

“The Maryland Department of Juvenile Services is focused on promoting accountability, rehabilitation, and preventing justice-involved young people from reoffending,” said DJS Secretary Vincent Schiraldi in a news release.

The reaction was swift. Gov. Wes Moore said the changes were “important announcements to make sure there are real measures of accountability,” but said he understands there’s more work to be done.

“We believe we have to continue coordinating and continue working together to make the system work better. We know we have work to do,” Gov. Moore said. “We have to make sure people are accountable for their actions, and we plan on working with anybody who wants to be a serious partner in this work.”

Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott issued a statement following the news of the policy shift, calling the changes “simple, common-sense adjustments that will better serve everyone.”

The General Assembly spent much of the last 90-day session debating juvenile crime concerns. Accountability, both for the young person and the state agency, was at the center of the conversations. Ultimately, lawmakers passed a compromise plan that extends the length of probation for young offenders who have committed more serious crimes, requires a Child In Need of Supervision petition to be filed when a young person is accused of stealing a car for the first time and expands what charges Maryland’s youngest offenders can face.

“We provided law enforcement agencies with additional, meaningful tools to successfully enhance safety and reduce crime involving young people,” Sen. Ferguson continued in the statement. “As I’ve said repeatedly, every agency involved in public safety must follow the law and use the tools available to reduce violence.”

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