Maryland has taken a wide range of steps to deter criminal activity, including notifying schools when students are arrested, supporting teachers with legal protections, posting juvenile probation officers in the most troubled schools, and improving the physical environment. Taking measures like these to tighten security reinforces the effects of the laws described above by ensuring that offenders will get caught and face stiff penalties. The Glendening-Townsend Administration introduced legislation during the 1995 session that requires police to notify schools when students are charged with violent crimes or weapons offenses, regardless of where the alleged offense took place. Another new law allows schools to exchange information to prevent expelled students from enrolling in other public schools without their consent. Physical violence between students must be quelled as quickly as possible.
Teachers are often the first adults on the scene.
They must feel confident that they can break up fights without fear of legal liability. A new law ensures that our teachers receive these protections. The presence of probation officers can also help ease peer pressure on students who might be coaxed into engaging in problem behaviors. The schools involved cut suspensions by 36 percent, and none of the students on probation has been arrested for a new offense. The kids know there's someone right there in school who can take them straight to a judge.