Maryland Juvenile Services Secretary Vincent Schiraldi responds to calls for his removal

Maryland Juvenile Services Secretary Vincent Schiraldi vowed to “stay on this job” while responding to members of the state’s General Assembly and Baltimore residents who have called for his removal.

Schiraldi spoke with media outlets Friday, telling WBAL-TV that he believes people “have a right to feel safe in their home communities.”

“I’m never gonna sort of pushback on communities that are angry because they feel unsafe. My job is to make it safer, and I’ll stay in this job as long as I’m allowed to,” he told the outlet. “I want those community members who are calling for my resignation to feel safe.”

Schiraldi also spoke with 7News in Washington, saying he’s “going to stay on this job and work as hard as I can as long as the governor is supportive of the direction we’re taking.”

Schiraldi’s comments follow a letter from Maryland’s Joint Republican Caucus on Oct. 1, calling for Democratic Gov. Wes Moore to remove him from his position. More than a dozen Baltimore City community associations also have supported calls for Schiraldi’s removal, FOX45 reported . A petition this month involving residents and business owners near Patterson Park claimed public safety is compromised by Schiraldi’s policies.

Maryland Sen. Ron Watson, a Prince George’s County Democrat, also called Friday for curbing juvenile crime, saying, “It’s time for Schiraldi to either specify his challenges so we can fix it or move on,” according to FOX45.

Reached for comment Saturday, a DJS spokesperson said Schiraldi would be made available to speak with The Baltimore Sun.

Schiraldi announced changes Oct. 1 to the department’s detention policies . Juveniles accused of a violent felony but not detained are now placed on electronic monitoring, while those who are already on electronic monitoring and charged with a violent felony are detained.

Another letter sent Friday by the Maryland Senate Republicans caucus called on Moore to remove Schiraldi from his position, citing the recent arrest of a 17-year-old who was charged with first-degree murder in Columbia after previously being charged with attempted murder, for which he was under an ankle monitor.

New juvenile justice legislation passed by the General Assembly earlier this year goes into effect Nov. 1. The law also expands the kinds of possible charges for 10- to 12-year-olds, including certain firearm offenses, aggravated animal cruelty and third-degree sex offenses. It’s also designed to improve communication between DJS, police and local prosecutors.

Have a news tip? Contact Brooke Conrad at bconrad@baltsun.com , 443-682-2356, and on X as @conrad_brooke.