New Look Could be Coming to MCPS Security

June 19, 2024

A lot has happened at top positions in Montgomery County this week with MCPS announcing their next Superintendent Dr. Thomas Taylor and with the County Council confirming the new Police Chief Marc Yamada following the retirement of Police Chief Marcus Jones. Dr. Thomas Taylor and MCPS followed up with a welcome message getting to know Taylor and a survey to communicate to him about what MCPS is doing right, wrong and can improve on which everyone should fill out.

Security in MCPS

Two things mentioned prominently in the introductory press conference and which have been a major issue at MCPS in recent years were safety and trust. Dr. Taylor said: “The culture that I would like to create in MCPS is one of support, safety, mutual trust, mutual respect, and innovation.” He later went on to say “As a parent and as a teacher, I know that in addition to academic success, campus safety is a huge priority for all of us. I have a longstanding belief that schools must address Maslow’s hierarch of needs before they can address Bloom’s taxonomy of learning. That’s shorthand in ed speak for we need to take care of our kids and their well-being before we can even address learning” and then continued “Every child, every staff member, and every visitor to MCPS deserves to come to a safe and welcoming environment.”

Police Chief Jones Heading to MCPS?

We have heard about the possibility that after retiring as MCPD Police Chief on June 30, Chief Jones may be tapped to help MCPS in the safety and security areas. Currently, the MCPS Office of Systemwide Safety and Emergency Management is headed by Acting Chief Safety Officer Ms. Adaeze Ezeofor-Andrews who was appointed on October 26, 2023. It is unclear what position Chief Jones would be in if the rumors are indeed true. It may be a different position or a new position entirely.

However, there is a position listing for MCPS Chief of Security and Compliance which describes what could be a possible landing point. Two interesting sections of the job description (among other important roles) are “The Chief of Security and Compliance is a proven leader with a track record in safety, emergency planning management, proactive, innovative, and comprehensive approaches to systemwide safety and security efforts” and “Serves as the primary liaison to local, state, and national public safety agencies, including but not limited to, the Montgomery County Police and Fire Departments, the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, the Maryland Department of the Environment, the Maryland Center for School Safety, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Department of Homeland Security.”

Chief Jones’ Experience with MCPS and MCPD

Chief Jones would be an excellent bridge between MCPD and MCPS as someone who knows a lot about both and knows a lot of people in both areas. Since he has already been dealing with some of these issues for many years, there would be little need for him to figure things out. His experience could be especially invaluable to help our new superintendent achieve his goals on improving safety and trust.

One of our MCPS summer rise students did an interview last year with Chief Jones that focused on security and safety in MCPS among other things. The interview was very impressive and shows that Chief Jones has a very good understanding what is going on in our schools. You can view the article about the interview here or watch the full video below.

---