In his weekly briefing with reporters, Montgomery County, Maryland, Council President Gabe Albornoz said Tuesday’s meeting by the county agency leaders on youth crime and violence will focus on the summer ahead.
Albornoz said the concern over public safety and young people was already an issue “before school’s even let out. There is deep concern,” he said, that violent crime among young people could increase over the summer.
Tuesday’s meeting is closed to the public.
Albornoz said there’s a need for agency heads to come together in a closed setting to coordinate efforts for the coming months when schools are closed.
“There is a recognition, given what we are seeing right now in the community, that there’s a need to double down on those coordination efforts and check where we are,” Albornoz said.
With COVID-19 increasing in the community — the latest figures show that the county is in the medium range — Albornoz said there is also the understanding that summer programs would have to be cognizant of efforts to limit the spread.
“It is critically important to provide a time and space for our youth and children to be able to gather to be able to learn, to be able to learn from each other and support each other, but also spend time with a caring adult,” he said.
Albornoz said if there’s a need to expand or change county programs, he’s confident future meetings on the issues surrounding young people and concerns over crime would be open to the public.
