SNOW HILL– Education officials are working with law enforcement to evaluate school safety concerns, according to a joint statement released Tuesday.
Worcester County State’s Attorney Kris Heiser, Sheriff Matt Crisafulli and three Worcester County Board of Education members issued a joint statement this week after meeting several times.
“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,” the statement reads.
On Sept. 21, Heiser and Crisafulli sent a letter to the school system outlining serious concerns about the safety of local schools. She and Crisafulli made it clear that law enforcement officials have ongoing concerns about the lack of notification they receive from school officials regarding criminal activity in schools. That’s despite the fact that a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the sheriff’s office and the school system in August stipulates that school staff will report crimes to school resource deputies.
In the weeks since that letter, various closed session school board meetings have been held. According to this week’s joint statement, a task force made up of law enforcement as well as education officials is also now meeting.
“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,” the Nov. 7 statement reads. “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 statement also addresses the public’s desire to understand the concerns law enforcement has shared.
“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,” the statement reads. “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.”
