MARYLAND, USA — Maryland Governor Wes Moore made it clear public safety is one of his top priorities. Thursday, Moore and his administration announced his vision to keep the community safe.
The Safe Summer initiative invests $5 million into strengthening local police departments and working to get to the cause of many of the issues plaguing the community.
“An all-of-the-above approach to improving public safety in Maryland requires preventing crime, holding criminals accountable, and addressing the root causes of crime,” Gov. Moore said.
The new initiative was launched through the Department of Juvenile Services. The department defined three main priorities that include:
- Bringing more resources to several jurisdictions, including Prince George's, Montgomery, Anne Arundel counties.
- Launch an initiative focused on 25 youth who are currently under state supervision and considered at the highest risk of shooting someone or being shot.
- Create new partnerships across the state between the government and communities that focus on creating opportunities for the youth and focusing on their strengths.
"Good government is about making strong choices and we are going to make the choice to act on public safety in a way that is robust, in a way that is strategic, in a way that moves with an urgency the issue demands, and in a way that doesn't just react to crime," said Gov. Moore.
Thursday, Gov. Moore was surrounded by members of his cabinet and leaders of the jurisdictions impacted the most by youth violence.
"The responsibility of ensuring the safety of our communities is a formidable task, but I have full confidence in Governor Moore's ability to rise to the challenge,” said Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy.
Some of the partnerships created to help the youth include working with the Department of Natural Resources. It will give at-risk young people a chance to serve their communities. The partnership will focus on those who are currently under state supervision. They will get an opportunity to work with park rangers and complete environmental projects weekly.
Aside from the local counties, the initiative will also focus on Baltimore Counties and Baltimore City. Accordintg to the Department of Juvenile Services, those five jurisdictions account for 75% of youth violence referrals in Maryland.