Maryland Juvenile Services Secretary Vincent Schiraldi vowed to “stay on this job” while responding to members of the General Assembly and Baltimore residents who have called for his removal.
Schiraldi spoke with media outlets Friday, telling WBAL-TV he believes people “have a right to feel safe in their home communities.”
“I’m never gonna sort of push back on communities that are angry because they feel unsafe. My job is to make it safer, and I’ll stay in this job as long as I’m allowed to,” he told the outlet. “I want those community members who are calling for my resignation to feel safe.”
Schiraldi also spoke with 7News in Washington, saying he’s “going to stay on this job and work as hard as I can as long as the governor is supportive of the direction we’re taking.”
Schiraldi’s comments follow a letter from Maryland’s Joint Republican Caucus on Oct. 1, calling for Democratic Gov. Wes Moore to remove him from his position. More than a dozen Baltimore City community associations also have supported calls for Schiraldi’s removal, FOX45 reported . A recent petition involving residents and business owners near Patterson Park claimed public safety is compromised by Schiraldi’s policies.