Worcester Co. School officials, law enforcement release joint statement

WORCESTER CO., Md. – There have been multiple discussions between both law enforcement and education officials over concerns of school safety in Worcester County.

After over a month of back and forth between the parties involved amid claims that school safety incidents are not properly reported, and the creation of a new school safety task, State’s Attorney Kristin Keiser, Worcester County Sheriff Matt Crisafulli, and three members of the Board of Education have released a joint statement. In the statement, they say that the Board has acknowledged law enforcement’s concerns and will be reviewing and considering the recommendations presented.

The full statement reads as follows:

“State’s Attorney Heiser, Sheriff Crisafulli and 3 Board of Education members, Katie Addis, Bill Gordy and Elena McComas met on three separate occasions over the past two weeks to further discuss school safety and possible solutions. In these meetings, the Sheriff and State’s Attorney have provided several recommendations to address their ongoing safety concerns within Worcester County Public Schools. The Board acknowledges law enforcement’s concerns and will be reviewing and considering the recommendations presented this week. The Office of the State’s Attorney, the Sheriff’s Office and the Board of Education are committed to participating in ongoing meetings and discussion and to taking actions necessary to achieve the highest level of safety and security in Worcester County Schools.

In the meantime, the Sheriff, the State’s Attorney, and the Board of Education recognize the right of parents and the public to transparency and accountability from their elected leaders, particularly on matters involving the safety of children at school. Therefore, while the Sheriff, the State’s Attorney and the Board of Education continue to work on these matters in private, we also look forward to a time in the near future when we can collectively present school safety information to the public to answer questions, eliminate confusion and confirm to our community that we are doing everything we can to make schools the safest places in Worcester County.”