The acting secretary of Maryland’s Department of Juvenile Services announced a mandatory detention policy for teens arrested for serious crimes while wearing ankle monitors, satisfying a request from law enforcement.

Betsy Fox Tolentino, appointed by Gov. Wes Moore in June, said in a statement she made the decision after a series of meetings with public safety officials and after recent incidents involving kids wearing ankle monitors.

“These changes show a willingness to have hard conversations and make quick decisions when they can help us rebuild trust and community safety,” Tolentino said.

The policy unveiled Friday requires juvenile services staff to detain children until the next court day upon law enforcement’s request when they’re charged with a serious crime — such as gun charges — and are already wearing ankle monitors. Previously, detaining a child already on ankle monitoring was optional, even if police requested they be detained.

The policy went into effect on July 3.

The next court day could mean an overnight or weekend stay in a state detention facility, depending on the day of the week.

Tolentino said her agency is “moving quickly to address the young people who are falling through the cracks of our system.”

Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said, “I appreciate DJS for taking swift action in response to the concerns raised by me and members of my team.”

Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger called the change a “step in the right direction” but said there’s more work to be done. He said he he wants to see faster responses from the agency when kids ordered to wear ankle monitors violate their curfews or wander outside their court-restricted areas.

Fox Tolentino took over the agency after Vincent Schiraldi’s departure. Moore said Schiraldi had made improvements but he wanted to move faster, and Fox Tolentino better understood his “philosophy of urgency.”

A seasoned youth justice professional with long-standing relationships in Maryland, Tolentino said she immediately started her tenure taking meetings with law enforcement.

The agency’s deputy secretary of community services will oversee detention decisions and staff working with teens on community detention will receive training. Staff or a liaison must accompany the child to the court hearing to report on their behavior while wearing the monitor.