Veterans Advisory Council - Regular Meeting

And start with the pledge allegiance, please.

I

believe we have a quorum. We have one, two, three, four, five, six, seven voting members. So that's fantastic. Do I have a motion to approve the agenda that was circulated before we started?

I move to approve the agenda.

Excellent. Do I have a second? Second. I have a second. Any discussion on the agenda? Any discussion? Any discussion? Hearing no discussion. Agenda is approved. We'll move into old business. Approval of previous meetings minutes. Those were circulated as well. Do I have a motion to approve the previous meetings minutes? Motion to approve the previous meetings minutes. Excellent. Do I have a second? Second. I have a second. Any discussion? Any discussion?

Third, any discussion? Hearing no other discussion, I will approve those meeting minutes under old business. Is there any other old business? I don't think we have any other

old business. I think the only one would be like the voting for the Quotes. It's the only that we all did our voting.

Right. Yeah. Well, we kind of took care

of that.

There was

I think there was six

You have everything that you need from us. That we needed to finish

up. I don't

think so.

Making sure.

The the conversation there is the was it quilts of honor? Mhmm. We had six quilts to be presented at the Veterans Appreciation Day. We had six honorees for for the non marines in the room that's equals zero extra quilts and we're we're good to go.

Yes. So the letters went out letting the people who were nominated from the community, letting them know that they were nominated, inviting them to the event, explaining what the ceremony is, and asking them to, you know, RSVP to the event. So we should be receiving those back pretty quickly.

Great. Perfect. I will move into chair comments. My comments will be super brief today. I think maybe two months ago, I talked about all of us doubling up our efforts with all of the various veterans organizations and veterans nonprofits in Frederick County and to reach out to them and and offer our help.

I know a lot of us are tapped at a 110% and my ask would put us maybe at a 120, 150, 200% overloaded on our helping of those organizations. I'm now following up that conversation with saying those of us in those organizations that are in a communications roles or leadership roles, plus up your efforts and this goes to everybody out there listening those in our in our audience here. Plus up your efforts in communicating with those that are coming out to to help with you. I know that I find in my role with the with the VFW, I can send out a thousand messages to our members and I will still hear one person say they didn't hear about something. There's there's no way to fix that.

And it's it's super easy to take that as a well, they're not doing the right thing. It's not they're doing the wrong thing. It's not even that we're communicating with folks the wrong way. We just have to continue to make sure that everybody gets the message and that goes across the board everywhere. These these communications are and somewhat maybe thankless, but it it really helps to just get the message out there and to take that extra initiative to send it to 2,000 people instead of 1,000. So, yeah, that's kinda where I'm at with my comments there this month. Let's go into presentations. We have Maryland's commitment to veterans up first. Hello.

Hello. Thank you. My name is Regina Lindsey. I'm with I'm the Western Regional Resource Coordinator for Maryland's Commitment to Veterans. Our organization is part of Maryland's Behavioral Health Administration.

So just a quick disclaimer before we start. The opinion findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this presentation are those of the presenter and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Maryland Department of Health. In the state of Maryland, there are approximately 62,000 plus active duty reserve and National Guard service members. Maryland is also home to 360,000 military veterans, almost 56,000 of which are women. Of these numbers, approximately half of them are married, and there's about 44% of these veterans married, not married, divorced, widowed, with children.

So considering how many people we all know that have served, these numbers really do reflect a large proportion of the population in the state of Maryland. Maryland is home to its unique veteran population due to its proximity to multiple bases for all branches and the Pentagon. Veterans in Maryland experiencing homelessness have a ninety four point three percent chance of maintaining stable housing and not returning to homelessness after accessing their benefits. Another unique point in Maryland is we have the most diverse population among our veterans in the whole United States. And most of us are between the ages of 35 to 55.

So don't we look like we're having fun?

So Maryland's commitment to veterans is active in our local communities. We do plenty of outreach events. We hold training events for our behavioral health providers. And we're also pretty super cool to know personally. Just a few organizations we work with are the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Oh, sorry. Department of Health, the Maryland Veterans Affairs, the Maryland Department of Labor, higher education, local behavioral health authorities, local addiction authorities. We work with a lot of five zero one c three nonprofits. So we're kind of in the community. We're everywhere.

Go ahead, Nikita. Thank you. Eligibility for receiving our support, you need to live in Maryland, and you must have served or are currently serving in the U. S. Armed Forces. We also include NOAA and the United States Public Health Service. We support service members and veterans regardless of their discharge

status. So

again, we support all service members and veterans. And we also have some support services for family members as well, such as caregiver caregiver support groups in their local jurisdictions. We do have some therapy services, alternative therapy services. It just depends on what you're looking for. Go ahead. So this is our team. There are many like it, but

this is ours.

Mhmm. Our supervisor is Rick Reed. Unfortunately for him, he has to tolerate four headstrong, beautiful, gorgeous, intelligent, supportive, and resourceful women. Lucky him. So our team is Trudy, Dina, Tanika, and myself. We've split Maryland into four areas. We work in all four areas. We also have Jackie. She runs the Hickson Fund program. And Hannah Rodriguez, she works in safe she's our safety planning administrator.

She works in the suicide prevention side of our program. I'll tell you guys more about what they do later on in the presentation. So good. MCV has no exclusion criteria for support, including family members. Even if an individual does not have a military connection and reaches out, we never turn them away.

We will direct them to resources available to them. Our referral service is available 247. We do have a hotline number. You'll see it at the end of the presentation. So before I I went ahead with the little too far with the thing. Did I skip the slide? No. Go back. So no. Go ahead.

So we provide customs fit services to our service members, our veterans, and our families. We work with many providers. We continue to build our partnerships throughout the state for effective warrant handoffs. The RRCs, that's us, we connect callers to triage and prioritize requests using federal, state, local resources for a no cost approach. We try to always expend the federal benefits and state benefits first before we start going into other services that provide support.

So if you're not VA eligible, we guide you through the state and community to give the care that you have earned and deserve. So case coordination and referral services. The RRCs, we coordinate your service needs with your VA case manager if you have one. We provide information and referrals related to employment, education, VA benefits, food programs, adaptive equipment, and many, many other things. So if you need we're kind of like an all in one resource.

Sorry. Go ahead. Our team has firsthand experience in military culture. We're all familiar with the language, the acronyms, nonsense words like voluntold. So we know what that means. We also actively navigate the VA state and local services. Again, this enables us to provide unique peer to peer services. So we feel that allowing our veterans to be heard, seen, understood is very important. So that's why we are here.

Go ahead.

So

training and education. We participate what slide number is that? I'm on 13. 18.

On 13. It says 18. Can you go to 13?

Nope. That's not where I am. Okay. Go back. Three states. So, basically, we're just here to improve our access to improve access to veteran benefits. We do training and education. We present to organizations about our program, such as the Frederick County DIC. We do we are we participate in the Maryland Governor's Challenge initiatives, crisis intervention training, and we host conferences and workshops on a variety of topics. And we also connect providers with our educational opportunities.

We do offer provider continuing education credits. We do sit on boards and committees. We do large and small scale events. Just next week and within four days, I have two events. One of them is at Silver Spring Vet Center. It's gonna be small. The next one is gonna be goodness.

Sorry. That was my fault. You do, girl?

And the next one is gonna be at Garrett County Airport for Wings and Wheels. There's gonna be 5,000 people there. It's four days apart. It's gonna be amazing. And I am also doing Mikayla's Veterans Appreciation Day. So wherever. No idea where I am in my notes, so go ahead. Hixon Grant. So this is Jackie. She's one of the other team members.

She is not in RRC, but she does have a lot of information and knowledge. The Hixson grant is a matching grant program. The peep the our people who apply are gonna be five zero one c threes, nonprofits. Let's see, state state and local state and county services, and also our, you know, like, the public universities and the state colleges. So the the services that you can apply for to get the funding are for screening for mental health, substance abuse, co occurring disorders, delivery of an alternative therapy, art, music, animal assisted therapy such as, like, equine therapy, case management and coordination services, peer recovery specialists, and telehealth or telemedicine services.

It's pretty straightforward. And the governor's challenge is our suicide prevention among service members, veterans, and their families. So the current initiatives, we have four work groups. We have mission ask the question, crisis intercept mapping, SMVF peer training, and then TMAP, which is our trained military assistant provider. So mission asked the question.

It's a whole big it's statewide, And it's just the question is, have you or a family member ever served in the military? This is so that we can when a person is in crisis, if we ask this question, we can get them to the appropriate resources and make sure that we follow through to prevent suicide all the way through to recovery. There are materials. I can give you the website. There is also an email at the bottom that you can go to. We have these for our providers. Everything is free of charge. We make sure that there's a dialogue card

to

follow, and the referral resources that we have are vetted for veterans. Crisis Intercept Mapping. This is to help assess the gaps in the community crisis care systems and services. So from the time a person or a family member calls 988 for suicide all the way through to recovery, what we do is we analyze and strengthen your crisis care system for all stakeholders. So it goes from intake, hospitals, police, EMTs, local DHS, local addiction authorities, your primary care.

Whoever is involved in the care of this person, making sure they get all the way to recovery is where we try to strengthen and get the support in. So this is when you apply for CIM. This is the process. Looking at about I wanna say, let's say, four, eight. You're looking at about a sixteen week process to strengthen your crisis team, but it's well worth it.

So our peer training, it's I don't really know a whole lot about this. So let me see. It allows for the expansion of wellness and recovery by training peers in trouble areas and how to relate to military culture while building trust, which is really, really big among veterans, to assist in the individual's recovery. So that's really what the SMBF peer training is for. It's just to build trust within the military community.

So they are, you know, taken care of. Let's see. There are four modules in peer training, recovery and wellness, mentoring and education, ethical considerations, and advocacy. On the screen are just some of the learning objectives in those those training modules. TMAP.

Finally, this is the end, I promise. The TMAP mission is to reduce suicides of Maryland veterans by equipping primary care practices with knowledge and resources necessary to treat behavioral health concerns in the military community before and during a crisis. So this is getting our local doctors to know and understand what a person is going through and familiar with the culture. TMAP is free for your primary care physician. It's online. It's on demand. It's evidence based, and it's trauma informed. And they also get their continuing education credits.

So

this is, again, the team app program, training for primary care staff. Everything is there, and it focused on the unique needs of service members, veterans, and their family. And it's always free. So you know anybody, go ahead and take a picture of this. That is Hannah. She also does the CIM training. And the next one. And this is all of our information to get in touch with us. We're on social media. We have a website. We have the 20 hotline. And you can also email us, and we all get the emails.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any questions? Yes.

Is does Hannah still have access to cable locks that we Bell BHA's can give

out? Absolutely.

Good luck. Hit her. Thank you.

One question I had of I I think in the initial first set of slides, you mentioned that the the data person for. Mhmm. Is there data that you all make available to organizations like the VAC on the number of veterans that you see, what they're looking at, what they need? Yeah.

Yep. We just right now, we're because we're at the end of the fiscal year, we are getting our annual data together. But, yeah, depending on what you want and what you need, we can definitely get it together for you.

I I know my answer to that is I never know what what data we need, but I I'm a data driven person and I whatever you have available, I mean, I'm sure there's questions we could ask and you're able to to scope that dataset down to what specifically matters to us.

Yeah. Also, Maryland Department of Veteran Affairs also has they they'll have a new report out with their data as well. Gotcha. That's where mostly where I got the information for the presentation. Okay. But our data is mostly just from the calls that we take, whether it's from behavioral health or for something else. So but we can definitely get you anything you ask for or just put something in general together. Excellent.

Very cool.

Thank you.

Anything else?

Just a a comment. I've taken quite a few of the trainings and this the psych armor trainings, and they're very nice and well done, and I've been doing them. Y'all hear that?

I was gonna say I can add on that, actually, just just so you're aware. Here locally in Frederick, we partnered with Hannah. We did a a CIM project, Kayla was part of. That was about a year and a half ago that we did that. And a lot of work has come from that afterward. And then we also the LBHA also partnered with Hannah to do one of the psych armor trainings. I told you guys about it. It was for local providers on military cultural competence.

Yes.

So we've we've partnered quite a bit with with this office.

Nice to meet

you in person.

Thank you. Yeah.

I think it would be great to get more and more, you know, people, you know, county employees or, you know, businesses around Frederick to take that military cultural competency training. It was I think it would be really beneficial.

Is that something too that they get like, do we know that someone has completed it, like, organizationally because there's, like, some sort of sticker or emblem that they can put on a signature or something? That's that's something I'll have to ask. Just out of curiosity.

Yeah, that is a very good question. I'll get back to you on that, but I can definitely ask and see.

I don't know about the organizational piece, but I can tell you that at the very least, everyone that attended was issued a certificate of attendance. So it was, you know, acknowledging that you've been trained. Yeah.

I'm just thinking that way they know. Like, is that the you're talking about

the team app training. Right? Or is that separate?

No. Those are different. Yes.

Separate. This was the one of the trainings they offer through PsychArmor. Okay. Speaking

of the T map, is that just for physicians or could it be for anyone else in the health care?

It's whoever's in health care that does serve veterans. I mean, it's just more information that is only going to benefit you while you're serving your population.

Great. Thank you. Thank you.

Miranda.

Well, good evening and thank you

so much. You could have

guessed that. Just did. Sorry. I'm gonna use this.

I just wanted to come and introduce myself. So I took over a portion of the role formerly held by Ms. Joyce Grossnickle, wonderful institution that was Joyce Gross Nickel. So I am just boards and commission. My colleague Ariel is the rest of her large portfolio of work. So I just wanted to let you know who I am. So I'll be your go to person for appointments and confirmations with counsel. So I know we might have a few folks that are up at the end of the term year. So I did bring business cards if anybody wants to just email statements of interest and resumes. We also are releasing our new online platform for applications.

It's amazing compared to 5,000 emails. So happy to provide that link if you wanna reach out. Just to get everybody up to speed, we're just making sure that all the boards and commissions have enough folks to reach Quorum. We're in compliance with Open Meeting Act. Basically, continuing on the good work that's already being done. Just kinda scrubbing the decks before we get to that point. And also just kicking off a few a few projects with our online applications and bylaw review, kind of a bit of housekeeping that might have not been done in a while or with you all. I know you've been pretty active. Just making sure we're all good to go as far as paperwork and documentation. We're getting ready to also do some record retention items.

So a lot of back of house, but a few things that are will bubble up to you all. So just introducing myself before I ask you to do that 200% work, which I totally appreciate. Thank you so much for saying that because I realize everyone is so busy and you all are volunteers, so very much appreciate it. It's really important work. So I'm planning on going in your event July 19, I believe.

So we're looking forward to that and just kind of networking with the community a little bit more. Also around, I don't know if it would be of assistance, but just anything I can do to get the word out if you do have vacancies and you'd like to target different audiences, etcetera, for your I know you all have very prescriptive representation compared to some of the other boards and commissions, but happy to reach out as I can and as I kinda get things under my belt. So kind of here to help with whatever you might need. And, again, cards, password. I hope enough. If not, I have more. Also, scheduling. I know we've been in touch about all of that.

So It's okay.

Yeah. We'll do a training for chairs and whomever want to come in October and staff liaisons just to bring everybody up to speed. And I'll have a little bit more under my belt. Hopefully, with this new online platform, we're just trying to make it a

little bit easier, a little slicker, a

little faster to keep track of, like, attendance and agendas and members, especially if they're turning on, off, and, you know, life happens. So just trying to kind of bring everything up to 2025 and kind of patch things up, I guess, from where Joyce left that when she retired last November. So any questions for me? I know every board that I meet, it's like anything and everything comes up. So if you have a question that's burning now, feel free to ask. Otherwise, I am at that email address and able to help at any time. Great. Any

questions?

I think there are a couple of folks that are up for Ella reappointment, I think, the end of this month. So I'm happy to reach out. I think we have to work on just, like, an updating of the member list, but I think we're in pretty good shape. You

mentioned going through the bylaws. So just Yeah. Just before, I think, you got in place, we had gone through a process of reviewing code for the and good debt for the council.

Right. Didn't be approved. Yeah.

I definitely have seen that. So just making sure that we're all teed up with everything, and it hasn't changed a few things. So

good job. And Yep. So there was an ex officio person who you said that they needed to make a recommendation. And I didn't remember us doing that in the past, and I wasn't sure if that's something we needed to do during the public meeting or not.

I think because it's an ex officio nonvoting number. You could do it in an open meeting and public session. That'd be fine. Okay. And it's a reappointment as well. Correct? Yes. Right. So, yeah, that would be okay, I think. Okay. Top of my head. So I can

go back and look Okay. On that status.

Mhmm. Okay. Yeah. Otherwise, closed.

Okay. Now

one of the features of that recent, you know, legislation was adding a new ex officio member. So I don't know if you'll be able to assist in terms of reaching out to that state organization you know, or if that's already being taken care of.

Is that Maryland Veterans? Is that who did we add?

I think that's yes. I think

that is

it. I admitfully have not that RISE.

Oh, I should have too. No.

I I think that's

Maryland Veterans. Yeah.

So happy to help draft up a letter, etcetera. Usually, we send to kind of the overarching organization, does it needs, maybe made, etcetera, etcetera. Is that something I would help with? Or just review before you said Cross your fingers. Exactly.

Exactly. There's another there's another one that's been vacant for a while that we probably need to reach out to again. Okay. Yeah.

I know we talked a little

bit about some of that,

and it was right when I first started. So Yeah. We'll play a little bit of catch up.

But that

would be great. Definitely. And I'm sure everyone around the table has enough networks to tap into perhaps as well Mhmm. If you're so inclined. So, definitely, that would be a two Way Street if that'd be helpful. Okay.

Thank you.

You.

Public comment. Our gracious folks that have joined us, this is your opportunity to bring up anything,

everything. Or at least just introduce

your story. How

do you measure your effectiveness? That's a good question. That's a that's actually a fantastic question.

Is there a budget for this organization?

Yeah. There there is. I I honestly do not know what that budget is.

It's don't know the exact figure, but it's operational cost. So it's my salary as the staff liaison, some office supplies, some printing.

This lovely room.

And the appreciation day. Right? No.

We're all separate. The room.

We all pay for the

Well, yes. We do all pay for the room. Sorry? You said

the Veterans Appreciation Day is in our budget too, right?

No. No. No. Separate lineup.

Okay. It's Yes.

On the vendor vendor cost.

Yeah. I know I personally try to measure the way in which that I am chairing the organization as the attendance is one thing. Not the biggest attendance today. We've had some pretty good attendance in the past, coordination with other organizations. I know Mikaela's consistently attending the Frederick County or no.

The County Veterans Engagement Board that's provided by the VA that has a lot of different organizations all trying to coordinate the various things that go on here. So having her attend those is is just helping this organization be tapped into that. There's a lot of us that are that are engaged in other organizations just making sure that we are trying to collect as much information as we can from the county veterans to ensure that our leaders here in the county, are aware of the ongoings. So in that, I I think we measure do our county leadership does our county leadership feel like they are getting enough information from this council about county veterans.

I would also just add the Veterans Appreciation Day last year, for example, was something that drew me

out. And

I learned about this, committee, but also, the advertising, the outreach, the participation last year, I thought was tremendous. It was my first time going. And if you haven't been to the event, I would encourage you to go and just look to your left and right and to see the outreach and the response from the veterans in this community, I thought was tremendous. So if you just wanted to get a pulse of the people in the community and the response to the work that we do, but what Mikaela does, I think last year's event and hopefully this year's event, I think, be a good bellwether for you. So please come. Definitely.

Well, I'll be there.

Super. The

part of my job is I help to publish their annual report every year, And those are all archived and available. So there's an annual report for the VAC. So going back to 2018, and those are available for you to read if you're interested.

I was interested in the idea of data driven. So if we're talking about data and there are 17,000 veterans in Frederick County, how many

of those

17,000 know you exist?

Probably very few. I I think there's, what, maybe 3,000 e contacts on the on the distro list. Is that how many is that not 3,000? Why is 3,000 on the top of my head? To your point there, you know, we have our

said I don't wanna pull it up because that would be I don't want it in anybody's private. I'll have to look up the number and get it out to you later because I don't wanna show anybody's private information. We send out

the type of thing I'm

talking about.

So we send out a an email newsletter once a month ish that goes out through Constant Contact. It has metrics on how many people see it. We don't know whether or not everybody that's reading it is a veteran. I'm sure there's a lot of people that support veterans that wanna be involved in that information. So it's we can't tell whether or not they're veterans that are reading it, but there's a lot of people that get that information out through there.

I'm I'm confident that that number is considerably increasing every single time we send it out because people share it with each other and they subscribe to that newsletter. There's lots of different social medias that we post on to to just get the word out about veterans. There's a lot of metrics that are built into there. I think truthfully, I could do a better job to ask for that data presented so that we know that we're serving those people and seeing the amount of information that's going out and who all is actually getting it, what the age groups are that are getting it, whether or it's younger veterans, older veterans, veterans in the middle, all all around.

Well, you could always ask your veterans.

Very true. Yeah.

Well, assuming you know that there are 17,000, because I asked this question before. Yeah. Do we know who the 17,000 are? Because I got feedback saying, well, that's kind of sensitive information.

So I would say, you know, the the 17,000, the number that I I see is from the VA data that everybody has available. And the VA, in a lot of cases, doesn't know who all those veterans are. That's not a dig on the VA. I mean, there's thousands and thousands of veterans. Me personally, I don't I don't know 17,000 veterans. I'd I'd love to. No. You wouldn't. I I I know through the various organizations overwhelming. Yeah. I know through all the the various organizations we're involved in, I'm I'm sure each of us are are talking to a veteran every day, if not more than one. So, you know, it's one step at a time.

One more question. Sure. Okay. One of the big issues is the suicide rate. And what is that rate? Not you don't have to give somebody's name. I mean, how do you measure your effectiveness if you don't know whether it's 10%, 5%? It's not a 100%.

Sure. So we have a locally here in Frederick, we have a suicide prevention coalition, which Mikaela participates on on the veterans subcommittee. All of the local data about suicide rates and what percentage of the suicides for veterans is located on the website.

Is it? Okay. Good. Thank you.

You're welcome.

I appreciate that. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Thank you.

If I can say one thing. I think I think this council is still learning about what all those services are that are in Frederick County. I mean, they're ones that are just not as vocal and other or visible visible than others. In order to get to a part a point where we can effectively measure our success and and bringing those and integrating them all together into providing those services and getting people to the right areas. I don't I don't I don't think we can actually effectively measure that yet.

I mean, we're not to that point where we can hit that metric. First, we have to establish metrics that we're looking for too, but there's just so much information right now that we're still divulging and learning about that I don't know how you get to that point.

Thank you.

Yeah. Appreciate it. That's I love questions, honestly. Normally, when we say public comment, we just look out there and nobody says anything. So I love the

question. Trouble before.

No. No. It's The other the other thing I would just add on is, you know, every year that this board puts forth their recommendations to the county executive for legislation. And so it is it is interesting to see how many of this the suggestions actually get put forward for legislation. Mhmm. You know? And I know that the the board was very proud of the the Frederick Washington County Veteran Treatment Court because that was a suggestion that this council put forth that actually went forward and then became a reality. That was pretty cool.

Thank you. Definitely.

But not all of the suggestions get taken every year, but sometimes they do.

Any other public comment?

I don't know that I necessarily have a public comment, but I just wanted to kind of share why I came today. I'm the director of nursing with Assisting Hands Home Care. And we serve veterans in the home. And so I just felt like I learned something tonight that I'm going to try to take advantage of. I just kind of want to learn more about the resources that are out in our community for veterans.

When we take on the client, we're not just in the home. We want to find the resources for them. And I have seen that some of our veterans are particularly a challenging population to care for with resources. And so I think it's great that it sounds like there's an educational program that I might be able to access just so that I you know, I have about 60 caregivers that are in the homes, and, you know, it'd be nice to have some education as well. So I might be coming more just to see my face.

I'm not really, you know, here to cause a little trouble or Sure. Just learning more. I mean, I've learned about there's another community or you know, I just wanna learn more that I can share because I really it's hard to access the VA for things, even to try to get services. I did it myself personally for my mom when she needed it. We used my dad's veteran services to help her. And so it was really challenging. So anyway, I just wanted to introduce myself, and maybe you'll see me around. If you can if

you can come out on the nineteenth I

am. July is part of it. Yeah.

I was gonna say there will be a ton of resources to go and browse even as as someone that is a resource, right, in the community for

So, yeah, we are gonna it's our first time. Mhmm. But we will we've signed up.

That would be great. It would be really nice. Oh, thank you.

Let's see. Any other public comment? No? Alright then. Staff report, please.

Okay. Well, so the second annual Veterans Appreciation Day is getting closer and closer. So we're about a month away, Saturday, July 19. Doors open at 09:30. So couple things to talk about.

I just kinda wanted to update everybody on where we're at with everything. We have table and chairs rental in place. We've got 75 tables and a 150 chairs showing up on Friday, Friday morning. So we've got some division of aging staff that will be there plus Fred, of course. Fred is just such a workhorse.

Like, he's always there. So if anybody's available Friday morning or Friday afternoon probably more Friday afternoon because I don't know exactly what time the tables and chairs will be delivered. So if anybody's available Friday after lunch to come help set tables and chairs up, that would be appreciated. And then we we've got lots of division of aging staff and some volunteers. Just like last year, we're gonna need you guys to work some shifts at the back table to talk to people and maybe even possibly recruit some new back members.

You know, people are probably gonna I don't know who work was anybody here working the VAC table at last year's event? Did people come up to you and ask any questions or, like, who are you? What do you do? Yeah. So I have ordered lots of tote bags and I showed you guys the design for the challenge coin.

Right? So we're giving away tote bags and challenge coins. So that'll be fun. So whoever's working the back table this year so if you're available to work a shift that day, email me, and then that way I can make up a little schedule. What other giveaways? I think we decided just to do the tote bags and the coins this year. Is that right?

Yeah. And knowledge.

I was gonna say, do they have to earn the tote bag or the coin?

Or like

challenge coin.

Stickers. That was the other thing. So we did a version of the challenge like the front part of the challenge coin. We did them as stickers mainly for kids but anybody could have a sticker. If you want one for your laptop you can have sticker. Yeah. Sorry. I think I'm starting to get a little brain dead between the event between the event and the accreditation. I was doing more online training this week. So, yes, the vendor registration has now closed and we're full.

Everybody's paid up, which is good because the fiscal year is closing. So we've got we've got our food trucks. We've got our DJ. You know, we've got the static display for the folks outside. For activities, parks and rec is gonna do an activity or two two activities.

I think one is gonna involve some sort of, like, living history or military thing with Rosehill Manor, I think they've partnered. And then HR is doing a, like, a the what's it called? The pickup pickup a duck thing, you know, like you do at the county fair Yeah. Where the kids can pick up a duck and get, like, a candy or something like that. So for workshops, we have Warrior Canine Connection is doing a workshop.

You're doing

It's not us, but someone's doing, like, firearm safety training.

Oh, the VA. Martinsburg VA is sending yeah. They're doing lethal means and save, which is the the suicide prevention. Mhmm. I thought suicide prevention was doing a resiliency workshop.

I don't think so, but we're gonna have our HERPO, extreme risk protective order liaison over there. Okay. And we'll have a suicide prevention coalition,

like Okay. Table.

Okay. That's one thing I need to still

Safe storage devices will be

available there.

That's one thing that I still need to, like, confirm and firm up is the workshops because I emailed FCC because I thought they had said they were gonna do a workshop, and she had no idea what I was talking about. So I was like, I wonder who I talked to. So yeah. So and then, of course, division of aging is gonna do a workshop on our services that we do, which is Maryland Access Point, state health insurance, caregiver support, Meals on Wheels, stuff like that. Danny Rodriguez is gonna do his veteran benefits workshop again this year, which was really good, and I feel like I'm leaving somebody out.

We mentioned the quilts of valor. Mhmm. So like I said, the community nominated some Frederick County veterans, and they they letters went out. So they've all been notified that they were nominated. So hopefully, they'll be able to attend and receive their quilt. As far as the opening ceremony, I don't know what the exact order of of things is, but you're in charge of protocol and the script. You're using last year's. Yeah. You're our emcee. So we have the boy scouts doing the posting of the colors.

I'm working on confirming the singer for the national anthem. Oh, question. Do we want to do the the medley thing we did last year?

Because we

Anybody remember? It was the medley of this military song.

We just

do all the different songs.

Oh, yeah.

That was nice.

So keep that in. Okay. Yeah. And then

We need to make sure that the Space Force is in there this year.

Was it not in the last one? I don't think so. Okay.

Maybe they were. Okay. I couldn't tell you what it is. I don't know. I couldn't

tell you that's gonna say

like Star Trek stuff.

Okay. I'm not sure. Darth Vader's team's on it. It

may have been

in there.

It's just I Okay.

If it's not online, I'll give you a couple of minutes. Yeah. Right. And

then so okay. So so and I need to send this to you, but I think the way it's gonna go is you're gonna introduce Carolyn True, who's the division director. She's gonna say a brief welcome and introduce the county executive. The county executive is gonna welcome the VIPs and distinguished visitors and elected officials that are there and give her remarks. And I believe there's gonna be somebody from the, like, maybe one representative of the county council, but I I don't know that I've been told who that is yet. So I guess that's still up in the air.

I will be there.

Will be there. I don't know if I'll be a fellow representative, but I will be there.

We we did request you, but I don't know if we'll get you. I don't know.

I always plan on being a

supervisor. So and then he's up to

speech writing just

in case.

Have a speech I never have a speech writing.

And then I think it's I think Mike Bowers from Maryland Commission on Veterans is giving brief remarks. And then our keynote speaker is gonna be Tracy Coleman. She is a veteran. She was a engineer in the army, and she's a civil engineer. She's the deputy director of the Department of Public Works for the City Of Frederick. I hope I'm saying that correct. So she's our keynote, and then that will and then you'll wrap it up at the end. So that should be the opening.

And that

all starts at ten Yeah. That's fine. Mhmm.

Yeah. That's why we we shifted everything a little bit. We're opening the doors at 09:30 because the county exec has to be in two places at once. She has to be or she wants to be with us, and then she has to get to the block party ASAP. So

Oh, we're definitely higher priority.

Yeah. So we're gonna we're gonna try to start the opening ceremony right at ten and promptly so the county exec can blast out it. Get to the next thing.

We'll be going by my watch so

it'll start

exactly at 10:00.

Yes. You're you're you're the Patrick Pearson satellite.

I commissioned the two of them myself.

The Chinese satellite. Yeah.

So I

don't know. So the opening ceremony, is there anything blatantly Mhmm. Glaringly wrong or missing?

Election year, so shouldn't be any kind of election talk.

Yeah. We're gonna try to keep it city. By the people, for the people. We're gonna try to keep it more veteran focused and less elected officials speaking. So more, you know Unit.

Community focused. Sure. Hope.

We hope. That's the goal. Sounds good. Yeah. Great. Yeah. And we have four really cool door prizes this year. We have the Blackstone barbecue grill set. We have a $100 Wegmans card, a $50 Visa card, and we got donated this beautiful red, white, and blue stained glass mirror that a veteran a veteran who comes to the senior center who does stained glass made. They they donated that. Can send everybody pictures. So but the main thing that I wanted to ask or talk about was, we still having the meeting at the event?

Oh. We had talked about that in the past. I wonder if maybe that's gonna take our attention away from what we probably should be doing there, which is engaging with the public. I don't know. That's a good question.

Yeah. So I thought we should

Talk about it.

Yeah. I don't know if you guys wanna take it to a vote or just discuss it. Or

I I don't know if there's anything on the agenda that's really that pressing that needs to be done. True.

Last year, they basically just took a break for July. There was no meeting in July. So it's up to you guys what you wanna do.

Think I

think just just being there and engaging and it's probably the best that you can ask for that time.

Yeah. It might be weird if we all disappear for a

time frame. Like, even if we're not even if we're

just wandering, you know, it might be like, oh.

Well, the intent was because everybody's there.

Right. Right.

It's not really leaving them their own devices.

Do we have a meeting count number that we would have to have?

Can that count as our meeting? No. Because there's a

There's there's some there's some count in the.

Oh, yeah. No. You're right. You're right. Right. I wanna say it's quarterly, but I would have to look it up. I I don't know.

I don't think it's initial.

I don't

think I

don't know. I know it's in June and we have to figure this out by July. We could, at the worst case, hold a VAC meeting closed and vote on postponing once we know information or

We could just make say that as long as there's no regulations in our bylaws about meeting being held, we will just break for July and count the appreciation. Yeah.

Mean, you guys have met every month this year. I don't think you're in danger of not meeting enough, if that's the concern. I'd have to look up the bylaws, but I don't think

I think the bylaws specifically say there's a number that you can't miss.

People

Yeah.

As an individual unexcused, there's a number.

Sure.

Yeah.

Okay. I think. Right? Yeah.

I think that's correct.

Alright. Yeah. And I'll make a motion that we not hold a meeting in July. Second. And just worry about the appreciation day.

Yeah. Second.

We have a motion and a second. Any other discussion? Motion is to is it postponed or Just not me. Just not. It's just

summer. Yes.

Cancel the meeting. Have summer break, basically.

Cancel for July and meet in August at our normal time. Any other discussion? Any other discussion?

And we'll just email you about table time slots.

There was

your new business topic.

There you go. Yep.

I guess. All those in favor. This is actually a vote one not a motion. Yeah.

There's a motion on the table.

All those in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Great. So moved.

I didn't catch Garth, you seconded you. I did. Okay.

I was

having to catch it either.

So I know it's not on the agenda, but can we add a new business item to discuss Nanman? Sure. Okay. So I know we haven't done this before, but Nanman has applied to take up her position again as ex officio. So it's the same position. She was with senator Van Hollen. She retired. She's now working for senator Alsabrooks. So she has now reapplied for her old position with but through senator Alsabrooks office. Mhmm. So we need a recommendation from the council to recommend her to the county executive for that position.

So I guess Am I able

to make a recommendation as the chair or somebody else need to? Do

you have any advice? Assuming I

can make the recommendation, I will recommend Nan Mann purely because I have had experience with her previously on this counsel as well as in other roles. She is a fantastic representative for our representation at the federal level. And assuming you all agree, I think it's a great decision purely from the fact when I think of people that you asked to do 200% work, she's already pulling 300%, 400%. Percent. She'll she'll be here at every meeting.

That's why I'm. Mhmm. You don't often get, you know, the state and the federal reps. Yeah. They show she shows that.

Yep. Yeah. She attended quite a lot last year when she was here.

That's my She's just very knowledgeable. It's my proposal. Maybe probably be best to make that a motion by anybody.

Anybody wanna speak against them? On camera?

It's being recorded.

She's gonna watch this.

It's Robert's rules of board.

I only ask if we have a motion because as a chair, I am unable to make motions. I can make statements. That's just my understanding of Robert's rules.

Yeah. I think you're right.

You can turn the gap over to the vice chair and make a motion.

Here hold that for a second. I move to accept to to recommend Nanman for the

ex

official representation role for senator Walter Brooks to our county executive.

Is there a second?

Second.

Any discussion?

As I stated earlier, it's I think it's a very good idea purely from the fact that she is the person that all of our ex officios have probably looked up to in the past.

All in favor?

Aye. Any

opposed? Alright. The ayes have it. Sweet.

What's good. Yeah.

You thought

Carl was here. Yeah. Yeah. Alright.

That covered our new business item. Any other or new business items. Any other new business? Fantastic. Any announcements from anyone? Yes, sir.

I have one quick one. Just wanted to follow-up with you about about with this group about safe storage devices that I mentioned in our last our last meeting. So since then, we've distributed a 141 biometric safes, eight biometric trigger locks, and 71 drop down safes to Frederick County citizens at no cost to them. Wow. So we still have 92 biometric trigger locks that are available. And if you know anybody that needs a safe storage device for their firearm, please send them our way every Tuesday. I'm gonna get this right this time. Every Tuesday or no. I'm sorry. Monday.

Monday from three to five. I almost have it. From three to 5PM, and every Wednesday from three to 7PM using Entrance C at the Frederick County Health Department.

That's the one that's Monterey Lane.

Monterey Lane. Yep. 350. Great.

Yes, sir. I'll I'll just mention this is kind of a long lead item, but just to let you know that I'll be working on it. So I got reached out to by a a constituent about our disabled veterans property tax credit. So you know that we have property tax credits, a tiered property tax credit based on the degree of of VA disability rating. It has a a hard income cap of a $100,000 that's established in the state law.

We actually have no flexibility at the county in terms of altering it or removing it, and that's what the constituent's asking for. So I did reach out to delegate Pippi and had a discussion with him strategizing how we might be able to get it done because this would be it's one thing to put a bill into Annapolis that is for Frederick County. This would be a bill that would be statewide. So a lot harder. Oftentimes, it might take a year or two to get that kind of thing done.

A little challenging to propose a bill that would implicate a reduction in tax revenue at right now in this climate. However, it's a very constrained population. And from from what I've observed, there's a fair there's a lot of support in Annapolis for veterans related legislation. So it's not absolute. Nothing's absolute. But so we'll see what we what we can get done.

You

know, my idea is just to, you know, just let the localities decide what they wanna do with it. So take it as a a hard limit at the state level and let each municipality and county make their own decision. If that won't that if it doesn't look like that will fly, the easier argument will always be that, listen. You set this $100,000 limit four or five years ago now. Mhmm. That 100,000 doesn't mean the same anywhere. Correct. I mean, leave inflation index our income, you know, cap, you know, on one of our property tax credit. At least let us do that. So that's a lot harder to argue against Yeah.

If they have if anybody has a mind to argue. So what we're gonna be doing is gonna reach out to the committee chairs on both the house and senate side as well as the the veterans delegation the veterans caucus chairs as advocates. So sir?

Just curious because I'm not that smart. But when you introduce the legislation, can you introduce it so that way that cap comes up every every year for inflation purposes? Do you have to do it every year?

Well, that's the way if if we can't get it just, you know, let the the localities change it. It's it's a little bit more complicated, but that's exactly how we do it. It it we have it so that it's adjusted every year verse based upon, you know, the inflation index. And it takes an act to override that. Otherwise, it's automatic.

Okay.

But that kind of language approach at the state level, I don't know if they'll buy that. At least I can use it in an argument to help them persuade to just let us

do it. So

we'll see how that works. But there may come a time when I'll be letting you know, hey, there's going to be a hearing at Annapolis. Would anybody like to come attend?

Yeah. Problem is those always happen when I'm working. Yeah. No. Me too. Like, I really wanna go down someday. I haven't Yeah. Know.

By the

time I find out about it, it's too late. And

Yeah. It's it's like an all day affair. So you

can speak for two minutes. Two minutes away. Is removing the cap altogether in nonstarter?

Well, that'll be my if we can get it brought pushed down to county authority, that'll be my proposal.

Yeah. I mean, if you've been injured, you've been injured. If you've been successful, you've been successful. Why should that impact what you've done? That's basically what the decision was Yeah. It goes to the broader discussion of should people 65 really continue paying taxes at all? Is their when is their portion done? Any

other announcements? Alright. Do I have a motion to adjourn?

I have a motion to adjourn.

Fantastic. Second. Any other discussion? The only item I have is our next meeting will be 08/20/2025 here. And as always, it will be televised.

I'm sorry. I was trying to you guys in July.

All those in favor say hi.

Good morning. Good morning. I'd like to get the meeting.

Good morning.

I'd like to get I'd like can you hear me? It's a little after nine. I'd to get the meeting started. So first of all, welcome. I'm Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins.

I wanna say welcome to everybody and thank you for coming out this morning to our annual two eighty seven g steering committee meeting. This meeting is for the purpose of explaining the two eighty seven g delegation of authority program, what the program is and is not, how the program works within the detention center, statistics, and the public safety value of the program to Frederick County. Following the presentation, those who wish to ask questions or make comments will be allowed to the podium for three minutes. Questions and comments will be limited to the topic of the two eighty seven gs program only. We're going to keep the meeting civil, orderly, and comments are going to be kept civil.

Anyone who becomes disorderly and refuses to respect those speaking will be asked to leave the room. So thank you and let's let's have a good meeting. Let's, again, feel free to ask any questions limited to the two eighty seven g program.

Okay. Good morning. I'm Lieutenant Colonel Michael Cronice. Welcome to the two two thousand twenty five two eighty seven g steering committee meeting. This morning, we'll be providing information on the Frederick County two eighty seven g program, which will include the mission and vision statement, rest screening procedures, two eighty seven g statistics for the past twelve months, and significant incidents for the past twelve months.

Before we get started, I'd like to take time to introduce everybody. Again, this is sheriff Chuck Jenkins, sheriff of Frederick County. I'm lieutenant colonel Michael Cronice. Amy Westhaver, the national program manager for two eighty seven Pete Mercurio, our facility program manager, Christian Lewis, supervisory detention deportation officer, James Brooks, community relations officer, Carson Leidy, deportation officer for our two eighty seven g program, and Michael Spinna, national program manager for two eighty seven g. For your information, today's PowerPoint presentation is available on our website located at www.frederickcountysheriff.com.

It is under the adult detention center tab. Alright. We'll get started with the PowerPoint. What is the two eighty seven g program? The two eighty seven g program allows a state or local law enforcement entity to enter into a joint, I'm sorry, into a partnership with ICE under a joint memorandum of agreement.

The state or local agency receives delegated authority for trained officers to perform certain functions of immigration enforcement within the jail or detention center, Only within the jail and detention center. It's only correctional officers in Frederick County. The two eighty seven g program can only operate within the confines of the detention center. Only offenders that have been arrested and brought to the jail on jailable offenses are screened to check for their immigration status. Only an immigration judge or a senior ICE official can order the removal of an offender.

No immigration enforcement functions are conducted on the streets, in schools, in hospitals, in courthouses, nowhere else but inside the detention center does the two eighty seven g program operate. We do not ask questions in regard to a person's lawful status in the course of performing law and funds law enforcement functions on the street. The patrol deputies do not ask immigration questions. The sheriff has no influence on the priorities of the program or when a detainer can be lodged. The program is overseen by a supervisory detention deportation officer, SDDO, program manager, PM, or a deportation officer, a DO.

All paperwork is reviewed by an ICE for by ICE attorneys for legal sufficiency. Offenders or defendants are served with their immigration paperwork and proceed through a legal process until final adjudication of their case. So people have to finish their local charges before they're served their immigration paperwork. Who's questioned about their immigration status? 100% of all offenders or defendants brought into the detention center are screened.

There's absolutely no profiling or selective screening based on race, ethnicity, or country of origin. There's not been a single complaint regarding racial profiling, discrimination, or officer misconduct related to the operation of the two eighty seven g program. Cost of the two eighty seven g program to the county. The following is provided by ICE at no cost to Frederick County. Training, equipment, oversight.

No detention center off no detention center officers are dedicated to the program on a full time basis. It's all a collateral duty, and everyone that did it volunteered to do it. Two eighty seven g statistics, 2,008 to present. We've encountered security threat group gang members, we've encountered 97 validated gang members, 34 suspected, 23 had some type of specialized training, whether it be combat training, trained snipers, military training, verified knife fighter, MMA, or trained in guerrilla warfare. 34 detainers were lodged against offenders or defendants who arrested for murder or attempted murder.

This is in Frederick County. We've had 34 people in the country illegally that have been charged with either murder or attempted murder. 163 detainers were lodged against offenders or defendants who were arrested for domestic violence. 177 detainers were lodged against offenders who were arrested for assault. 29 detainers were lodged against offenders who were arrested for controlled dangerous substance possession or intent to distribute. 189 detainers were lodged against offenders or defendants who arrested for driving while under the influence. A total of 424 detainers have been lodged against offenders and defendants charged a felony offense.

Okay. I just said that wouldn't match them up too. Okay. Here we go. Yeah. The pages are sticking together.

One offender this is and these are stats are just within the past year. One offender charged for murder, attempted murder, nine offenders charged with sex offenses, sex abuse of a minor rape, 20 offenders charged with domestic assault. This is just in the past twelve months. 15 offenders or offenders or defendants charged with assault, four offenders or defendants charged with abuse of a minor, that's sex abuse of a minor, Five offenders are defendants charged with drug offenses. 17 offenders charged with theft, robbery, or burglary.

Three offenders were validated or suspected gang or security threat group members. Those numbers are declining. A lot of individuals we're encountering now aren't getting the tattoos the way they used to, so it's a little harder to validate people now. That's funny?

Yes. Yes.

Yes. Things aren't always real.

Okay. Do you go to stop me over the knuckles?

Over the past 100 over the past year, a 115 detainers were watched by the two eighty seven g program. Of these detainers, eighty two eighty two of the 115 had prior law law enforcement encounters. 85 had prior immigration encounters. 34 had prior two eighty seven g encounters. Countries with the most detainers, 2,008 to present, El Salvador, 639, Mexico, 393, Guatemala, 322, Honduras, 229, all other countries, 237.

Only 79 were processed and put in immigration proceedings that overstayed their visas. Detainer totals, 04/11/2008. Frederick Police Department accounted for 59% of the detainers lodged. Frederick County Sheriff's Office accounted for 23.1% of the detainers lodged. Maryland State Police accounted for 11.4.

Others accounted for 6.5. The others would be Brunswick Police Department, DNR, Fairmont Police Department, and Frederick County Court Systems. Benefits of the two eighty seven g program to your community. Criminal offenders that are sentenced for serious convictions are not released back into the community to include sexual offenders, predators, domestic violence offenders, validated gang members, crimes of violence, and drug traffickers. This two eighty seven g program exists to protect our legal community our local communities by providing law enforcement corrections an effective tool to enhance the safety of the public.

As Frederick County statistics demonstrate, the partnership has been effective in removing felons, gang members, and violent criminals criminals off our streets. That concludes our power PowerPoint presentation.

Yeah, I'm going to call. What I'm going do is call three up at a time and you can go up to the podium and line up and again limited to three minutes. Does someone have a clock? Okay. Okay. The first speaker will be my good friend, Willie Mahone. I can't read the second name. Cap Kapowitz? Kapowitz. Kapowitz and Dennis Winston. First three speakers. Three minutes apiece, please. Okay. You can line up at the podium there.

Good morning. My name is Willie Mahal. I'm president of the local NAACP here in Frederick County. I signed up when I came in because they said sign up if you think you're gonna speak, and I wasn't sure I was gonna speak. Since I was called, I'm up here now.

But if I'm going to speak, I will I will speak on what has been presented. And frankly speaking, I have not been able to digest what was presented. I would need an opportunity to do a digest that information in order to act intelligent questions. But one thing that jumped out as I was looking as to what was presented, there was constant reference to I think at one point well, one thing I I question that I had, I saw charges that were levied against individuals, a certain amount of charges for this and that and that. I practiced law for forty five years.

This criminal defense law and I know oftentimes when a person is charged, they are charged with multiple offenses. For instance, there could be a charge of attempted murder, also assault, also underlying criminal offense. So one thing I would like to know, of those respected numbers of charges, how many were those were involved in one incident where there were multiple charges? Because that would give us some information, give us some ideas to what we're really dealing with. The other thing that

I I can answer that if you like.

No. Not right now.

Okay.

Hold hold that so then tell another question. I only got three minutes. The the other thing is I heard reference to oh, removal of a of a criminal offender. I I heard the presenter say removal of a offender, and then on the chart, I think it says criminal offender. My concern is just looking at it peripherally, just looking at it preliminarily, there is a lot of interplay between people who are convicted and people who are charged.

And that's it's important to decipher that information in order to meaningfully evaluate it with being presented. So that's that's probably my three minutes. I have a lot more questions based upon the information that I will have a chance to digest. But just on the surface, I don't think it dwells deep enough into the weeds for us to do a meaningful evaluation of what's been presented. Thank you.

To answer your first question, the statistics are based on the most serious charge, so there is no duplicates. If we put somebody down for murder, we don't also put a statistic down for a second degree assault. And you're correct that it'll be reckless endangerment, a whole list of charges. We go with the highest offense charge, so there's no duplicates.

So if that's a misdemeanor that's charged, it would be only that misdemeanor?

No. With the way we keep our statistics, if somebody's charged with murder and you're correct. Normally, it'll be murder. It could be first degree assault, second degree assault. We only keep a statistic. We only categorize that as murder. We don't stack it as murder and then another stat for second degree assault and another stat for first degree assault. They're not stacked. It's prioritized as the most serious, the most the crime that has the most time that can be punished by.

But only one incident. Correct. Only one incident. Thank you very much.

Good morning. Richard Kaplowitz. There are some myths that exist about the two eighty seven gs program. You want to correct them?

Absolutely. Truth. Data shows that

it makes us less safe

when people, especially victims, are less likely to report crime and cooperate in investigations with police. We're made less safe when tax resources are wanted. It's based out of the jail and only targets violent criminals. Just the opposite. By design, it targets those who don't pose a danger to public safety by being based in the local jail where those with less serious offenses are sent.

It mostly targets the innocent with no criminal background and those charged with misdemeanors, like traffic violations. By the Frederick County Sheriff's Office owned data, over 80% of the 2,000 detainers issued under two eighty seven gs since 2008 had been for misdemeanors. Truth, Alex Kannas is not the rule is the rule, not the exception. A 30 year resident, father of eight, torn from his family after being detained for a minor traffic violation. This is who two eighty seven is designed to target, everyday residents who pose no threat to public safety.

Two eighty seven g is an effective tool to target gang members and murderers. Two eighty seven g is redundant and unnecessary. ICE already has plenty of tools it uses to detain those convicted of serious crimes. Two eighty seven g allows ICE to go after everybody else, primarily those with no conviction and charged with minor traffic violations. Those people with the most serious offenses would almost certainly be transferred to ICE regardless of two eighty seven g through the Department of Corrections.

It's not a public safety tool. It's a political tool that scapegoats immigrants, that takes and puts a phone that puts phone tattoos on people's hands and uses that to say, well, there are two eighty seven they're a member of MS thirteen. Everybody in the world knows that was photoshopped. Everybody in the world knows that we have taken and sent people out of this country to gulags and concentration camps in other countries based on a tattoo of a soccer team. Two eighty seven g in Frederick is done professionally without complaints, and since it's based in jail, there's no racial profiling.

That is a lie. Sheriff Jenkins settled two racial profiling lawsuits related to two eighty seven g. And two eighty seven g under Trump is I could go out online, buy a police shirt, put on a hat, put on a mask, and I can go out and kidnap someone. Why are we not arresting every person who has got no judicial warrant or is masked and is claiming to be a police officer? Why are we letting them drag people off the street, throw them in a van, and nobody is checking to see whether or not that is actually a person with police powers to do that. Can we see that coming to Frederick County under sheriff Jenkins? I think it could. Thank

you.

First of all, to respond, most everything you said is totally untrue. It it is. It is. It is. Is gonna give you the facts on the Kness Kness case. Alexi Kness. And and let me make another comment. Those two lawsuits were totally unrelated to February g. Had nothing to do with February gs. So to clarify that for the record. Alright, it go. Let it go then. Alright, next speaker.

It's my understanding is that under the security synergy program in Frederick, since 2008, there are over 2,000 deportations. And

No. There hasn't been 2,000 deportations. No. We've lost 2,000 over 2,000 detainers.

Okay. Okay. I was going for based on the NPR interview from earlier this year from Sheriff Jenkins but okay. So, I guess I have that question based on the 2,010. Well, how many deportations have there been?

I couldn't tell you that. There's people that are serving life sentences in division of corrections that still have detainers or that have detainers lodged that haven't adjudicated their local charges.

Okay. But, like, overall since

2000 I don't know. ICE does not tell us when they deport someone after they leave the facility.

Okay. So there mean, there are there are overall numbers for the Baltimore field office.

Correct. But I don't have access

to sense of what percentage of those came from Frederick?

No. I don't have those numbers. I don't manage the ICE field office in Baltimore, sir.

Okay. No. But since nobody nobody knows the answer to that.

You'd have to contact ICE on that.

Okay. And they they would have the answer. Is there because because I mean, the statistic and also, I guess another question. In so far in 2025 and overall, I guess, how many how many people who have been detained and sent to ICE have been convicted of this specific crime that they're arrested for?

I don't have that exact number because a lot of people still have if you let me finish, a lot of people have still have their trials pending.

So I think Since since 2008, surely there are

I'm sorry?

Since 2008.

Since 2008?

Yeah. Since since the start of the two seventy g program project, there's no there's no data.

How many people have been convicted?

And how how many people have been convicted of the crime they arrested for?

I don't know. Don't keep that statistic.

Okay.

I have

a jail to run. I don't I don't keep that statistic. Okay.

Thank you.

One one thing one thing you should understand is that it's not only the charge that they've been charged with locally. Once they've been identified as being in the country illegally, the the local charge weighs into that. But there are also other factors, whether there's a standing order of deportation, whether or not that person is wanted in another country, has committed a crime, a violent crime, or any crime in another country. ICE makes those decisions on a case by case basis. I have no authority in this program. I make no decisions. Those decisions made by ICE in their field office by their supervisors. They make the decision on who is held and who is eventually removed. So, again, a lot of factors come into play, not just the crime they're charged with locally.

K. Sorry. If I if I still have time, ma'am, how many how many of the detainers have a felony conviction? Or a felony yeah. Like like sorry. Not or a charge. Sorry.

A felony charge? Yeah. I'd have to look it up. I don't have that information right here. I don't have it memorized. I'm sorry.

Okay. Thank you. The

next three speakers, Aubrey Lynch, Rhonda Ford, and David Davis.

Hi. Good morning. Thank you for having this meeting and allowing public comment. I really I really do appreciate it. I've been a teacher in Frederick County Public Schools for almost ten years, and I I just have some students and families that are just beyond terrified.

I really do appreciate the clarification that 287 g only applies attention centers, so thank you for clarifying that. But that's just something that our our students and our families just I I don't think are aware of. And so I just have two brief questions. First, you know, if I were to, you know, welcome a SRO into my classroom, which I've done before, which has been a, you know, really valuable experience, what would you have them say to my students to reassure them that they're safe at school, that this program, you know, isn't going to expand into schools? And if the program were to change, given the, you know, climate of ICE's increasing efforts to, you know, make arrests, is a different program or expanding on this program that does allow for arrests at school, is that something that the sheriff's office would cooperate with? Thank you.

So to answer your first question, the SRO is not in a position to discuss the two eighty seven g program within the classroom or discuss what ICE will will or will not eventually do. We have no idea. Okay? Run our detention center. Run our agency. It's we're not ICE. So it's not up to the SRO to address that issue in the school. Totally not appropriate.

Sure. Yeah. I guess what what then can I say to my students to reassure them that this program that, you know, the SROs that are walking around their schools because I I understand that it'll No? Don't centers, but they they just don't understand. So I'm just No worries. See how this can, like how how I can reassure my students that office

I think

prioritizes their safety and that they're safe at schools.

I think the best thing you can say as a teacher is the role of the SRO has not changed. The role of the Frederick County Sheriff's Office Law Enforcement Bureau has not changed at all. We still do our job. We we the mission we've always done. And and again, their role in the schools has not changed and will not change.

Okay. So if the if there was another program just my last question. Thank you

for

answering. If the program were to expand, given the climate of ICE, you know, increasing efforts to arrest people, is that something that the sheriff's office would cooperate with if the effort were to expand to include arrests at schools or on FCPS property?

On FCPS property?

At yeah. Which are schools. Yeah. So if if there if the arrests if the program were to adapt or change, given the efforts to increase arrest, would the sheriff's office support efforts to allow for arrests on FCPS property?

No. We will not be making arrests on FCPS property.

Thank you.

I I very much appreciate I have related this information to the superintendent. I would trust she's related this to her principals or administrators. ICE is not gonna come into the schools to make arrests. They're simply not gonna do it. And I've related this to to members of the community, to the leadership, to the county executive, to the superintendent of schools. They are not coming into schools to make arrests. They're not coming into churches to make arrests. The one single reason we're not seeing in Frederick County what you're seeing in in in name a city, Boston, Baltimore, whatever, is because what we've been doing in Frederick County for seventeen years has removed a lot of criminals. That's why you don't see the rage here. And and I hope ICE can speak to this or is willing to speak

with this.

Criminals, though. Yeah. It wasn't prepared to tell us how many criminals, though. Thank you.

Listen. Every every every stat, every every person that's a statistic in that PowerPoint was arrested was arrested physically arrested and brought into her jail.

Sheriff Jenkins? Yes.

Yeah.

Where where was some oh, yeah. It

should be on.

Please stand up so

we can

see you. Where

where was the

Please stand

up so we can see you and identify yourself.

Hold on. So I will say this about the two eighty seven g program for the jail enforcement model. It is the safest way for everyone involved for arrest to be affected, both in the community and for the ICE officers because we are in a contained environment, and it prevents us from it prevents us from having risk areas from anyone coming into an area where people can get hurt from all aspects of the public.

And my

And my area. With that being said, for the past two years, we have had oversight, and they have Frederick County Sheriff's Office has been a 100 compliant with the inspections, ensuring that the detainees have been safe and following the laws that have been brought to them. So thank you.

I'm sorry. Who are you? Who are you?

I'm James Brooks. I'm the community relations officer for the Baltimore field office. Correct, sir. Okay.

And none of your officers go out with me.

And you have any data?

Alright. Let's just

We are here to talk about the two eighty seven g program.

Okay. We have we have another speaker. Please show some courtesy. Thank you.

Okay. I believe most officers are honorable and dedicated, but there's always a chance for bad behavior. How many officers have been disciplined for racial profiling related to the two eighty seven g program?

Zero. Zero.

There

has not been a two eighty seven g designated immigration or or officer charged with racial profiling.

Or or even a or even

a complaint or even a complaint through the program.

Is that Frederick County specific?

That's Frederick County.

Thank you. Do you have a system?

Yes. OPR has a complaint system to file that.

Go ahead. I'm sorry.

There's record of complaints by the ACLU. What happened to those complaints?

What types of complaints? You talking about civil complaints that are

For the two eighty seven gs program.

I'm not aware of any. Listen, ACLU has been opposed to this program for seventeen years.

That's correct. Okay. For

good reason.

My job is to keep this county safe, keep it for how many people who live here in Frederick County? Show of hands, if you're honest. Okay. I don't believe that. Don't believe that.

Don't believe that. But but I'll tell you what.

I'll tell you what. I wanna share something with you. A month into this administration, and I'm a step out on a limb here, and if it makes ICE a little angry, so be it. I got a call from the field office director of ICE in the state of Maryland. And he said, sheriff, I have a list of the first 65 criminal targets in the Western Maryland region. Western Maryland includes Frederick, Washington, Allegheny, Garrett Counties. And most populous, of course, is Frederick County. So out of the first 65 criminal targets, how many do you think were in Frederick County or they knew to be in Frederick County?

It doesn't matter.

No. No. What matters is this. What matters is precisely this. The number was two because of what we've been doing here in Frederick County to keep this community safe. We're not again, we're not seeing the the the, presence of ICE, the so called ICE raids, and the criminal targets are not here in part because of this program. So that's the

fact. Raids? Okay. Go

ahead. I'm sorry. I I don't wanna cut your time short. Go ahead.

How many people have been detained and referred for minor offenses or have not been charged?

I don't understand. Everybody's everybody's been charged. I don't You can't come into the jail without being brought in on a jailable offense.

Convicted. Misdominators.

We have a bunch of people in the jail on local charges that are in the jail now awaiting trial. The jail

holds What about pretrial?

Who are 60% of our population is pretrial offenders. We hold people until they go to court. That's how a jail works.

And then after they've been tried and not convicted, what happens to them?

If they've not been convicted, then they're turned over ICE or they're released.

Yeah. Can't go to ICE. How many

As far as

How many have been turned over to ICE who have not been convicted?

None that I'm aware of. They may not have gone to court. If they if they

if they How many who

have not gone to court who did not

If they're brought in on a local charge and then see a judge and the judge grants them some type of release, whether release from pending their trial. If they have a detainer, then they're turned over to ICE.

How many?

I know we'll have that exact number.

Hi. I am David Davis. I do live in Frederick County. I just wanna remind you that the ninth commandment says, thou shalt not lie, and I have seen nothing but lies. You have selected numbers that are meaningless. You choose these numbers and say one of this, four of this. It is meaningless without context. You don't say how many Americans dealt those in crimes. You didn't say percentages or anything, so it's meaningless. The simple fact is undocumented people commit crimes at lower rates than American citizens, so you are making this place less safe.

Leviticus 19. Sorry. I have kind of some health problems. And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him. But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself.

For ye were strangers in the land of Egypt, and I am the Lord your God. Jesus himself said, and the king shall answer and say unto them, verily I say unto you, inasmuch as you've done unto the least of these brethren, you have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, which is where you are going because Jesus hates you. You do not follow the follow the bible. You do not follow the constitution.

The constitution clearly lays out that every person in this land gets due process. You know that ICE is not giving due process. So when you hand someone over to them, you are part of the criminal act. The

next three, Reverend Jerry Foltz, Carol Antoinette. So I hope I pronounced that right. And Annette Breeling.

Good morning. I'm the reverend Jerry Foltz, pastor in the United Church of Christ. I'm a resident of Frederick City in Maryland, a native of Hagerstown, Maryland. The statistics, I think, are lacking a lot of truth, and I have ministered all my life in the interest of truth as well as justice. Arges can be anything until someone is convicted.

I was charged with resisting arrest. I didn't hurt any officer. I just didn't get off the street when they wanted me to be. I also wear a tattoo. I defy anybody to look at it and tell what what it means and what it should stand for.

I've spent all my ministry dealing with issues of justice, trying to help people if they're improve their status back when it was easier to do. I've accompanied for the last twenty years people to ICE hearings and court hearings and worked with public defenders. And so I think the truth is really missing from the reports that we're getting here. I think in terms of the community, people live more in fear, not just immigrants, but the rest of us too, Because we see that any of us are liable to be kidnapped by somebody without any identification and sent somewhere where our families don't know who we are. These are different times that I that I grew up in, and the immigrants are just the the top of the iceberg.

The rest of us are there also. So it's important to know that with February even before the present administration of our national government, people lived in fear and did not respect police as they should. People come from other countries where they don't trust the police. If I've asked somebody and I've traveled some other countries and they've been held up or had some kind of invasion, did you go to the police? They said, no.

It would made it worse. They come to United States expecting that police will be their friends. If there's domestic problems, they're supposed to be able to call the police and the proper decision make to help the family with counseling or treatment or something like that. We can do a lot more to help our community than simply have two eighty seven gs. So it's making our communities less safe, less willing to include the police in proper ways. So I'm very much against two eighty seven gs, and I've never ever supported it. And so I appreciate it if you'd reconsider.

Thank you, Reverend.

I'm Carol Antonowitz. I want to comment that everybody should be feel proud of the work that they do and proud of their community. I do not feel proud that our sheriff's department cooperates with ICE on this program. I have friends I have friends who are teachers who have children coming to school crying because their parent has been deported. Would you like to go and talk to that child and comfort them?