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County briefed on youth‑safety programs as HHS, MCPS and police outline prevention and crisis responses
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Summary
HHS, MCPS and the Montgomery County Police Department described the Youth Resilience Initiative, school‑linked behavioral health services, crisis‑stabilization plans and coordinated responses to recent incidents; councilmembers pressed for clearer data sharing, staffing for school coverage and reintegration plans for students after incidents.
The County Council received a multi‑agency briefing on youth safety and school security that highlighted prevention programs, recent operational responses, and data the county is assembling to guide interventions.
Lori Garabay Aquino and Monica Martin of the Department of Health and Human Services described the Youth Resilience Initiative, the Street Outreach Network and the Safe Space program, and previewed a public youth data dashboard drawing from federal and local surveys. HHS staff said the county launched targeted outreach, summer safe‑space centers and a suite of contracts with community partners (Imagination Stage, LAYC, Identity) to provide mentorship, diversion and therapeutic supports for high‑risk youth.
Assistant Chief Dave McBain and Captain Jerry McFarland of the Montgomery County Police Department outlined school safety staffing and the Community Engagement Officer (CEO) model. MCPD said CEOs focus on relationship‑based work (mentoring, arrival/dismissal monitoring, mediation) while the department’s behavioral threat assessment unit screens and coordinates responses to threats; MCPD highlighted multi‑jurisdictional staffing agreements (Rockville, Gaithersburg, Park Police and Sheriff’s Department) that supplement county coverage.
MCPS leaders described districtwide adoption of a standard response protocol, recent school safety audits and efforts to upgrade cameras, access control and vape sensors. Dr. Peter Moran (MCPS) outlined data showing declines in fighting/assaults but noted drug‑related incidents are the largest remaining category; MCPS emphasized the need to tailor interventions by school level and cited increased referrals for suicide threat assessments.
Councilmembers focused on practical follow‑through: how schools notify police and HHS about evidence or threats, the scope of CEO coverage across high schools and middle/elementary schools, whether there are statutory minimums for SRO presence, timeliness of evidence handoff, and reintegration procedures for students after police involvement. Staff described the county’s interagency safety workgroups, the Handle With Care notification practice where officers alert schools after a child experiences trauma, and plans to expand behavioral health crisis stabilization capacity — including a youth‑dedicated unit at the county crisis center undergoing renovation.
Officials said next steps include coordinating reconciliation of service footprints and staffing levels as part of the budget process, publishing the youth data dashboard and continuing cross‑agency planning for event‑driven responses and summer coverage.
