Montgomery County is one of two jurisdictions where the state will launch a new pilot program aimed at curbing youth-involved car theft, Gov. Wes Moore announced Tuesday, Oct. 13.
Moore's directive orders the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services (DJS) to immediately begin building intervention programs in Montgomery County and Baltimore City, the two areas the governor identified as having the largest increases in motor vehicle theft compared to 2025. An initial status report is due to the governor's office by Dec. 1.
The directive, first reported by Maryland Matters, tasks DJS Secretary Betsy Fox Tolentino with creating a "specialized early intervention pathway" focused on children under 13, who cannot be charged with most crimes under Maryland law. The programs would coordinate responses among law enforcement, social service providers and families.
"We cannot wait for a tragic crash to be the first point of meaningful intervention," Moore said in a statement. "We must act decisively to interrupt this pattern of behavior before more lives are lost."
The directive follows a string of fatal crashes linked to stolen vehicles driven by minors. On Aug. 4, a 13-year-old boy driving a stolen 2015 Kia Optima struck and killed William Vance Payne II, 58, of Virginia, at the intersection of Great Seneca Highway and Clopper Road in Germantown, according to WTOP. Six other children were in the car.
Auto thefts in Montgomery County were up nearly 17% year over year as of Aug. 19, with more than 1,700 reported countywide, Bethesda Magazine reported in late August. Of 159 people arrested for auto theft, 97 were juveniles. Police said they have seen children as young as 11 involved. The Sixth District, which includes parts of North Potomac, was one of three hotspots identified by police data.
Montgomery County Councilmember Dawn Luedtke, who sits on the council's Public Safety Committee, flagged the gap in services in late August. "When we have a juvenile who has been involved in car thefts, and we're not holding them or giving them services … sometimes those are the kids you're seeing back out doing the same thing repeatedly," Luedtke told Bethesda Magazine at the time.
Moore's directive calls for DJS to use existing interagency "Youth of Concern" meetings to identify at-risk children and connect them with services, according to CBS Baltimore. The agency would also explore a longer-term model based on the Ramsey County Youth Auto Theft Intervention Project in St. Paul, Minnesota, which pairs law enforcement with community navigators.
Not everyone is convinced the directive goes far enough. Senate Minority Leader Stephen S. Hershey Jr. said it "announces an intervention strategy without establishing measurable outcomes, a clear deadline for demonstrating results, or additional funding and enforcement authority."
Fox 45 Baltimore reported the directive does not specify whether families would be required to participate or what consequences would follow if they refused. It also does not propose changes to juvenile charging laws or new funding.
The directive will remain in effect until further notice.
No Montgomery County Police or county government response to the directive was available as of publication. The Dec. 1 status report will be the first public measure of whether the pilot is taking shape. Residents can report auto theft or suspicious activity to Montgomery County Police's non-emergency line at 301-279-8000.
