Carroll County Restoring Field Trips To Baltimore City
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A Maryland school district has reversed its decision to stop taking students on field trips to Baltimore.
Last month, Carroll County Public Schools canceled field trips to Baltimore on the recommendation from the county's sheriff department, citing "escalating violence" in the city.
The policy grew from the sheriff's concerns surrounding the surge of violent crime and the skyrocketing murder rate in Baltimore.
"Today, the sheriff rescinded his recommendation that field trips be suspended," said Baltimore City Councilman Zeke Cohen.
The violence problem in Baltimore isn't new, but, last month, a wave of brutal beatings committed by teenagers in the Inner Harbor, sent shock waves through the city.
The district had a planned field trip for Westminster Elementary School third graders to the Maryland Science Center in the Inner Harbor, and the Francis Scott Key High School's band was invited to the Mayor's Annual Christmas Parade in Hampden.
"In his home district, in Carroll County, what they're seeing on the news all the time is this issue of crime," Councilman Cohen said. "He's willing to work with us and all of our state partners to make our city safe, because he understands when Baltimore thrives, the rest of Maryland thrives."
Last week, Baltimore City Councilman Zeke Cohen met with Sheriff DeWees for a bi-partisan meeting to work towards a solution. DeWees changed his recommendation, and on Friday, CCPS said it would restore field trips to the city.
Carroll County schools don't have any field trips scheduled this month, so waiting to lift the ban in January has no effect on students.
Follow @CBSBaltimore on Twitter and like WJZ-TV | CBS Baltimore on Facebook
