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PGCPS outlines SafePass tracking, assigns two Safe Passage coordinators to respond to walker safety concerns
Summary
Prince George's County Public Schools described a new SafePass complaint-routing and tracking process and said two Safe Passage coordinator positions — newly funded this year — will manage complaints, liaise with police and public works, and request traffic-engineering studies as needed.
Prince George's County Public Schools presented a new SafePass intake and tracking process and said two Safe Passage coordinators will be the primary contacts for pedestrian-safety complaints. Gary Cunningham, director of safety and security, said the district will use an existing transportation resolution system to log service requests, notify requesters of actions taken and follow up with partner agencies.
"We're very committed to ensuring the safety of walkers as best we can," Cunningham said, explaining that complaints will be routed to the appropriate office — transportation, Department of Public Works and Transportation (DPWT), the State Highway Administration, or the Prince George's County Police Department (PGPD) — and that the district will track outcomes so issues do not "go into a black hole." Cunningham said the office created a walking-route safety checklist and will include dates, reviewer names and a short summary in each tracked record.
Cunningham told the work group the coordinators will meet regularly with DPWT, municipal police and the school resource officer and crossing-guard units, and will follow up periodically on referrals (for example, requesting the status of a traffic study 30 days after a referral). He said some complaints will require traffic-engineering studies and that the district is pursuing contract support to conduct professional studies because PGCPS staff are not traffic engineers. "We are not engineers," he said, and contracting would speed turnaround time for technical studies.
The presentation noted that Maryland's Safe to Walk to School Act requires a pedestrian safety plan for every new school and that PGCPS submits plans in coordination with DPWT and the State Highway Administration. The district also emphasized outreach: coordinators will contact requesters to clarify concerns, identify obstacles, and incorporate local meeting recommendations into formal responses.
The work group asked how often the district meets with police and municipal partners; Cunningham said a standing crime meeting occurs weekly (Thursdays at 9 a.m.), municipal chief meetings are monthly, and the district attends community meetings as needed. Staff said they will share the walking-route checklist and related documents with the group.
