PROTECT OUR KIDS
By Lori Jaffe
The Montgomery County Public Schools have a problem with violence and unfortunately, it’s just a matter of time before someone is seriously hurt or killed. Montgomery Perspective reports, “During the 2023–2024 school year, there were a total of 4,424 incidents reported through Synergy, the student information system. Of the reported incidents, 726 (16%) were classified as critical, having the potential to impact student safety and security. Such events were classified within categories such as knives or other weapons, false alarms or bomb threats, fighting or attacks on students or adults, drug-related issues, and trespassing.” Marc Elrich’s bad policies have affected our children’s safety. Fox5DC reported: “County Executive Marc Elrich essentially ended the SRO program by pulling funding for it in the FY22 budget in March 2015.” Serious changes need to be made, including returning the Student Resource Officers (SRO) to our schools and piloting a metal detector program.
On September 3, two students were arrested for a gun related incident in the community. Three principals sent a joint letter to the Kennedy High, Odessa Shannon Middle and Wheaton High School Communities. The Montgomery County Police Department reported,
“A 15-year-old male and 13-year-old male are being charged with multiple charges of first-degree assault following a shooting on Tuesday, September 3, 2024, in Wheaton-Glenmont.”
“… detectives determined a confrontation amongst the 15-year-old and 13-year-old suspects and several juvenile victims occurred. During this confrontation, a handgun was displayed, the victims ran away and the suspects chased after them.
A short time later, a vehicle was in the area of the 2300 block of Glenmont Cir. when the 15-year-old suspect shot at the vehicle occupants. The two occupants of the vehicle were uninjured.”
Could this incident have been prevented by the action of a Student Resource Officer who may have been tuned-in to a potential conflict? We’ll never know.
According to FOX5DC, “Former county police chief Marcus Jones, who is now MCPS’ Security and Compliance Chief, said on Wednesday they are in the ‘early stages’ of researching metal detectors. Jones revealed they’re talking with school districts that already have the security tool to see what their experiences have been like.
Officials warned that this is something that will have to be budgeted for. They’ll also have to review how to build the use of metal detectors into the school day, especially at the county’s larger high schools.”
On September 6, Montgomery County Chief Administrative Officer Rich Madaleno led a discussion about school safety during the County’s weekly media briefing. He was joined by Montgomery County Police Department Acting Assistant Chief David McBain and Chief Jones.
(10:52) Chief Jones mentions that they will be putting in vape sensors because of “concerns about vaping.” But there are reports that vape sensors are not that useful. For example, at Hinsdale Central High School, near Chicago, students simply ripped them off the walls. “‘By the time we get there the kids are gone,’ says Kimm Dever, an administrator at Hinsdale Central. Dever says the devices also went off randomly, and administrators couldn’t tell which kids were vaping and which just happened to be in the bathroom when the devices alerted.” We need to be more focused on violence and less on vaping.
Please urge Superintendent Taylor and Chief Jones to return the SROs and to find the money to start a pilot program for metal detectors in the schools. We have seen that MCPS students are using guns in the streets. It’s only a matter of time before they are used in our schools.
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Lori Jaffe is the Party Secretary for the Montgomery County Republican Central Committee, volunteer coordinator and Member of the Executive Board. She can be reached at [email protected]