Montgomery Councilmember Will Jawando reiterated that he does not want Student Resource Officers (SROs) back in the schools except in emergencies, during a radio interview Friday afternoon on the Politics Hour with Kojo Nnamdi.
“Our kids are struggling. It’s a crisis. It’s an emergency,” he said on WAMU. Young people need trained adults who could better deal with the many issues that arose during the pandemic and “who will get to root causes,” he said.
According to Jawando, who is running for re-election for his at-large council seat, when there is a shooting in a school, more people tend to be injured when police are involved.
Two of Jawando’s fellow councilmembers, Tom Hucker and Hans Riemer, are running in the June primary for county executive. Executive Marc Elrich is seeking re-election. When asked who he was endorsing, Jawando said, “I do not intend to endorse at this time.”
During his 20-minute appearance, Jawando discussed Thrive Montgomery 2050, the county’s vision for future land use, noting that it is a guide and does not include zoning changes or specific actions. “This doesn’t implement anything, It just gives us the tools.”
Jawando said he agrees with parts of the draft plan that call for housing to be built close to transportation, and neighborhoods with single family homes, duplexes, triplexes and small apartment units in the same area.
However, he said, “There were a few things missing,” especially in the area of racial equity. “There was a miss there.” Jawando explained,”The outreach done was not as inclusive as it should have been,” adding that he has reached out to people of color for input.
He would have liked to see metrics included in the plan to best counter past racial discrimination in older and poorer communities. He said there is a need to preserve and add affordable housing. He would favor housing developers order to set aside more than 12.5% of their units to affordable housing, which is the current requirement.
Affordable housing, and walking communities are needed here, he said, adding that if housing prices continue to rise, his children won’t be able to afford to live in Montgomery County.
The council is reviewing the plan and must pass it by the end of October.
