Sheriffs across the state of Maryland are calling for Gov. Wes Moore (D) to “immediately demand the resignation” of Vincent Schiraldi, secretary of the Department of Juvenile Services. The Dorchester, Talbot and Caroline County sheriffs, along with all but five other Maryland sheriffs, voted Monday to have the Maryland Sheriffs’ Association send the governor a letter to this effect.
“Since Schiraldi’s appointment in 2022, his extreme policies and lack of leadership as the Secretary of the Department of Juvenile Services, have directly made communities less safe in Maryland,” the letter reads. “Consistently in Maryland, juveniles have been charged with serious violent crimes,” it later states, “only to be turned right back over to a parent or guardian, and back out on the streets to commit more crimes.” A statement from Moore’s office noted that “over the past year,” the governor has made a “concerted effort” to hold youth accountable and rehabilitate offenders.
The statement highlighted a “26% decline in juvenile homicide arrests and 46% decline in non-fatal shootings of juveniles” statewide. The statement did not directly respond to the Maryland Sheriffs’ Association’s request for Moore to call for Schiraldi’s resignation. “The governor is fully committed to working with local elected officials, law enforcement, the judiciary, and community leaders to improve public safety by holding youth accountable and rehabilitating them,” it r.
