Calvert County Community Meeting - May 22, 2025

This meeting of the Calvert County community panel focused on two main items: finalizing and approving a community survey, and receiving detailed presentations from law enforcement and school officials on juvenile justice, school safety, and the roles of School Resource Officers (SROs) and safety advocates. The survey was approved with amendments, and the presentations provided extensive data and discussion on arrests, threat response, and coordination between schools and police. No public comments were made.

Community Survey

• The committee reviewed a draft community survey, which had been streamlined for readability. Emily presented slides, and members discussed question design, specifically the need for multi-select options for roles (e.g., teacher and parent) and for parents with children in multiple schools. An amendment was made to change dropdown menus to checkboxes allowing multiple selections.
• A motion was made and seconded to approve the survey with the recommended amendments and to proceed with distribution. The motion carried by voice vote with no opposition.
• Staff will implement the changes (multi-select) and release the survey, noting the need to avoid overlap with the Calvert County Public Schools' end-of-year parent survey.

Law Enforcement & School Safety Presentations

• Maryland State Police (Detective Sergeant Hunt): Provided an overview of juvenile law changes since June 2022, including age limits for charges (under 10 cannot be charged; ages 10–12 only for crimes of violence; 13+ can be charged for any crime). Juveniles cannot be interviewed without an attorney. Presented arrest statistics from April 2023 to April 2025: 23 criminal arrests, 15 traffic arrests, 5 other, totaling 49 juvenile arrests. Demographics: 21 male, 21 female (some missing data); race breakdown: 27 white, 15 Black, 1 Hispanic, 1 Asian, 2 unknown. Discussed the youth report (Form 53) process and the new Child in Need of Supervision (CINS) option for juveniles who cannot be charged. Responded to questions about scenarios involving children under 10 causing serious injury or death (cannot be charged; referred to state's attorney or mental health institutions).
• Calvert County Sheriff’s Office (Sergeant Woodford): Detailed the history and current coverage of the SRO program, including MOU with Board of Education since 2004. Current coverage: one SRO per high school and middle school, plus five dedicated elementary schools (two contract deputies). SRO duties include first response to active threats, handling police matters on school grounds, assisting with arrivals/dismissals, conducting threat assessments, and participating in community events. Discussed legal frameworks (Maryland criminal law, COMAR, FERPA). Presented 2023–2024 school arrest data: 154 total arrests (62 civil citations for marijuana/THC vapes); breakdown by high school (Calvert 43, Patuxent 41, Huntingtown 29, Northern 19); middle schools 20; others 2. Most common crimes: marijuana vapes, assaults, school disruption, weapons (mostly sharp edge, one firearm found outside building). Provided gender and race arrest trends over three years. Clarified that SROs do not enforce code of conduct, do not conduct scared-straight tactics, and do not search without probable cause unless safety concern. Goals: expand coverage to more schools, improve access to surveillance and e-school data, and amend MOU with Board of Ed. Responded to questions about mental health crisis responses (can request Mobile Crisis Team), number of emergency petitions per year (10–15), hate crimes (rare, handled as criminal), and social media monitoring (limited disclosure).
• Calvert County Public Schools (Mr. Larry Titus, Community Resource and School Safety Specialist): Described his role as school safety coordinator, overseeing crisis planning, training, safety measures, and the B-Safe TIPS line. Supervises 15 safety advocates (retired law enforcement) and works closely with SROs. Discussed jurisdiction over school property, buses, school-sponsored events, and off-campus behavior that disrupts school. Explained the disciplinary hearing process for suspensions over 10 days or expulsions. Covered search authority (principals, assistant principals, safety advocates with reasonable suspicion; no strip searches). Canine scans conducted with law enforcement. Noted that arrests are preferably made off school property unless safety requires otherwise. Emphasized mandatory reporting of child abuse/neglect. Discussed Handle with Care program for alerting schools of student trauma. Responded to questions about data on students with special needs (not currently available but will research), ICE protocols (require warrant and parent notification, consult legal counsel), and potential expansion of data sharing with law enforcement via amended MOU (under discussion with state’s attorney and board lawyers). Addressed a question from an alternative education staff member about overcrowding and safety at the Alt Ed program; acknowledged conversations about expanding alternative learning spaces. Recommended adding safety assistants (non-sworn) for elementary schools.

Key Outcomes

• Community survey approved with amendments (multi-select options) and staff directed to release it, avoiding overlap with CCPS survey.
• Information received from law enforcement and school officials; no votes taken on policy changes.
• Data request: Mr. Jones requested data on arrests of students with special needs; Mr. Titus committed to researching and providing it.
• Future meetings: The panel intends to hear from the state’s attorney, courts, and juvenile services next month to complete the picture before making recommendations.
• Adjournment: Motion passed to adjourn; no public comments were made.