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As the new school year kicks off, Montgomery County Public Schools officials share how they will be prioritizing school safety — including the use of weapons and vape detectors and increased collaboration between the school system and local authorities.
Montgomery County police and the Maryland school system’s new security chief say there will be more collaboration in the upcoming school year.
During an online briefing, Marcus Jones, Montgomery County Public Schools’ new security chief, said “safety is a top priority” for the school system.
Jones, who retired after nearly four decades with the Montgomery County Police Department, said that he’s in the process of talking to other school districts about their experiences with weapons detections systems.
“I think it’s something we need to take a hard look at,” said Jones.
He said the school system is in the “early stages” of examining how weapons detection systems could be used in the schools, but added, “I think it’s something we may be venturing into in the very near future.”
There are several issues that have to be addressed, such as budgeting and whether the systems would be workable at some of Montgomery County’s largest schools — including Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, which has an enrollment of 3,298 students.
“I think the overwhelming positive that we have going for us this year is communication,” said Montgomery County Police Acting Assistant Chief David McBain of the start of the new school year.
McBain said the role of the department’s community engagement officers (CEOs) hasn’t changed, but that police are coordinating closely with Jones and Superintendent Thomas Taylor to provide a safe school year “both inside the school, outside the school” and around the schools.
Currently, Montgomery County’s police department has 21 CEOs, “and we are actively filling a position for our 22nd CEO for Poolesville High School,” said McBain.
He said this year, all CEOs will have offices inside the high schools, but emphasized, “We are absolutely not patrolling the hallways.”
The CEOs are available to staff and students who may want to speak to an officer.
“Although we have a footprint in the schools, we do not take part in any of the discipline to students,” he added.
The first football games of the season are being held this weekend. McBain said there has been communication between the police department and the school system to “come up with good coverage of all of our games, not only for this weekend but for the entire season.”
Last year, a brawl broke out near the Bethesda Metro station between students from Bethesda-Chevy Chase and Walter Johnson high schools after a game between the rival teams.
Combating drug and nicotine use
Parents and teachers have complained about drug use and sales in and around school buildings, as well as vaping on school property.
“When vape detectors are installed, that will assist us with the usage problem that we’re having at some of our schools,” Jones said.
Last month, the Montgomery County Board of Education voted in favor of a measure to use $2 million in funds from a settlement with e-cigarette maker Juul to install vape detectors in all the school system’s high schools.
During Wednesday’s briefing, Montgomery County Chief Administrative Officer Richard Madaleno said he expects that the school system will get the county approval needed to use that money to fund the vape detectors.
“I’m confident that the county council will pass the supplemental budget amendment that’s before them,” he said.
“We’re working with MCPD to talk about more intelligence sharing in regards to drug dealing that may be occurring around our schools and in the neighborhood,” Jones added.
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Kate Ryan
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