BALTIMORE (WBFF) -- It's a call, no parent wants to get: A weapon found at their child’s school. A Project Baltimore investigation found kids taking weapons to school is a growing problem for some area districts.

Project Baltimore dug deep into State Department of Education data and found over the last five years, Maryland schools overall have seen a decrease in weapons incidents. Most Baltimore-area schools, including the city, have seen a similar decrease.

But we found two counties, Baltimore and Howard, that are going in the wrong direction. Since 2012, Baltimore County has seen a 35 percent increase in the number of students suspended or expelled for having a weapon. Baltimore County has seen a 26 percent spike just since last year.

Source: State Department of Education by FOX45 on Scribd





Baltimore asked Baltimore County for the number and type of weapons confiscated since 2012. The County told us those records don’t exist. We also asked for a sit-down interview to discuss the increase in weapons incidents. That request was denied. Instead, we got a statement from Mychael Dickerson, BCPS Chief Communications Officer, that said:

“We in Baltimore County Public Schools know our schools are the safest places for students and staff on daily basis. We believe the increase in our reported weapons incidents is due in part to our efforts to provide anonymous resources and tools for students to inform us of violations such as weapons possession. We will continue to work with students, staff and our Baltimore County Police partners to make sure we remove any threats to school environments, but when there are incidents, we report them appropriately."

While Baltimore County School Administrators wouldn’t agree to an interview, Ann Miller from the County Board of Education did speak with us.

“When we compare ourselves to other counties, it’s an eye opener,” says Miller.

When asked if she knew about the increase in weapons incidents, Miller told us the Board had not been notified.

“[Parents] would want to know, and they have a right to know,” says Miller of the increase Project Baltimore found.

Baltimore County Schools told Fox45 that parents are informed when a student is found with a weapon. But as far as alerting parents to last year’s overall spike of 26 percent in weapons incidents – it never happened.

With this weapons violation increase in Baltimore County, you may be asking what’s being done about it? Project Baltimore will continue to reach out to the Superintendent’s office and get an answer.