The effort will focus initially on Baltimore City and Montgomery County, which the directive identifies as having the largest increases in motor vehicle thefts compared with 2025. It does not specify the size of those increases or provide a launch date for the pilot.

The department is to coordinate with law enforcement and other agencies to involve children, their families and social service providers. The state plans to use existing interagency “Youth of Concern” meetings to connect young people with prevention efforts.

The directive also calls for a separate early-intervention approach for younger children involved in stolen-vehicle incidents who cannot be formally charged. Juvenile Services is expected to work with local police, social workers and school personnel to identify those children and offer support.

The order follows a fatal crash in Baltimore about two weeks earlier. Police say a 12-year-old boy driving a stolen car struck and killed 69-year-old Barry Wright Sr. on West North Avenue. A 15-year-old girl who was in the car was charged with motor vehicle theft; the 12-year-old was not charged because of his age.

In Maryland, children under 13 generally cannot be charged in the juvenile system, with exceptions for certain offenses and circumstances. The state’s proposed approach focuses on connecting children and families with services even when a criminal charge is not an option.

Moore cited concern about the frequency of vehicle thefts involving young people and the serious injuries and deaths linked to recent incidents. Longer term, the state plans to examine a youth auto-theft initiative in Ramsey County, Minnesota, where law enforcement works with community navigators and other community members to support youth and families considered at high risk.

Juvenile Services must submit an initial status report on the effort by Dec. 1.