Wicomico Co. Schools team up with local law enforcement to launch Youth Safety Task Force
SALISBURY, Md. – Wicomico officials formally announced a new county wide initiative to ease parents’ concerns and make schools safer. Community leaders announced a new Youth Safety Task Force on Monday.
“There are things that certainly can be done differently, should be done differently and I’m confident when we all work together we’re gonna make that happen,” says Wicomico County Sheriff Mike Lewis. “It’s a small group of stakeholders in our community that are charged with the protection of our schools and establishing policies for our schools.”
The group is a culmination of efforts to make schools safer. “We are working closer with Dr. Hanlin now than we ever have. But not just Dr. Hanlin. We’re also working with the Maryland State Department of Juvenile Services and our Wicomico County State’s Attorney’s office, a key component to turning the tide in what we’ve all been seeing going on in our schools in the last several months,” says Sheriff Lewis.
This comes just two weeks after three teachers were sent to the hospital for trying to break up a fight at Parkside. “As you well know, we’ve had our challenges here lately in the Wicomico County schools,” says Sheriff Lewis.
But community leaders are pushing forward, assuring residents that this new task force will help “identify and address systemic issues involving youth in our community”.
“We’re working on it more feverishly than it’s ever been worked on,” says Sheriff Lewis.
Officials promise they’ll listen to input from teachers even though there aren’t any members of the teacher’s union on the task force yet. “As long as I’m a part of this task force, I’m going to make sure that our educators are heard as well,” says Sheriff Lewis.
Despite that assurance, community members are skeptical sharing comments online, “Top policy makers = no one from the front lines that know what the real issues are.”
47 ABC also reached out to Superintendent Donna Hanlin and Wicomico County State’s Attorney Jamie Dykes for comment on this task force. The superintendent wasn’t available on Monday. Meanwhile, the state’s attorney says she needs more specific details about the task force before offering any input.
According to the press release, “Our aim with this collaboration is to quickly and effectively implement solutions to protect the safety and rights of every child, support academic integrity, and build a strong and vital future for all of Wicomico County. This purposefully small task force aims to maintain and grow public confidence through the collaboration of top policy and decision makers in agencies that are among those most responsible for our students and youth. The scope of the task force is narrowly tailored to address those issues which create systemic problems that can only be remedied through the coordinated and collaborative efforts of its members. Through this forum, members can institute problem-solving solutions quickly, effectively and with the ultimate goal of protecting the safety, rights and academic experience of the entire student body and youth of Wicomico County.”
