Safer Communities
Stronger Maryland

​​

Safe communities require prevention, effective law enforcement, accountability, and smart investments that address violence before it happens.

​

Senator Shaneka Henson has worked to strengthen public safety at every level—from expanding the ability of law enforcement to protect State facilities and making dangerous roads safer, to preventing gun violence and investing in strategies that protect families and communities.

​

Her approach is comprehensive: give public safety professionals the tools they need, intervene before violence occurs, protect victims and vulnerable residents, keep dangerous weapons out of the wrong hands, and build the public trust that effective law enforcement depends on.

​

Strengthening Law Enforcement & Public Safety​

​

Expanding the Maryland Capitol Police — SB 298 (2026)
Senator Henson sponsored and passed legislation significantly expanding the jurisdiction of the Maryland Capitol Police within the Department of General Services (DGS).

​

The new law gives DGS statewide jurisdiction and full police authority related to the operation, maintenance, and protection of State-owned and State-leased buildings, grounds, and other designated State facilities—modernizing the authority of the officers responsible for protecting State employees, visitors, facilities, and public spaces.

​

The legislation earned unanimous approval in both chambers and was supported by the Department of General Services, Maryland Capitol Police, Maryland State Police, Anne Arundel County Sheriff's Office, and Maryland's police chiefs and sheriffs. SB 298 is now Chapter 263 of Maryland law.

​

Senator Henson has also supported investments in the facilities law enforcement relies on, including State capital funding for improvements at Maryland State Police Barrack J in Annapolis.

​

Taking the Lead

Firearms & Court-Ordered Treatment — SB 942 (2026): Senator Henson sponsored legislation, for the second consecutive year, to establish a process for the temporary surrender of firearms by certain individuals ordered by a court into assisted outpatient treatment, with the goal of reducing risks of violence and self-harm. The bill did not pass.

​

Preventing Illegal Ammunition Purchases — HB 175 (2021): She sponsored legislation requiring individuals purchasing ammunition to demonstrate that they were legally authorized to possess a firearm, aimed at preventing prohibited individuals from legally purchasing ammunition. The bill did not pass.

​

Keeping Guns Away from Polling Places — HB 540 (2021) / HB 30 (2022): Senator Henson sponsored legislation prohibiting firearms within 100 feet of polling places during elections, preceding broader protections Maryland enacted in 2023.

​

A Consistent Record of Support

Senator Henson has also supported major gun-safety legislation in the General Assembly, including:

• HB 425 (2022): Banning untraceable "ghost guns."

• HB 1021 (2022): Strengthening storage and security requirements for licensed firearm dealers.

• HB 824 (2023) — Gun Safety Act of 2023: Revising Maryland's wear-and-carry laws following the U.S. Supreme Court's Bruen decision.

• SB 858/HB 307 (2023) — Jaelynn's Law: Strengthening firearm safe-storage requirements to help prevent youth suicides, accidental shootings, and children's access to unsecured firearms.

• HB 583 (2024): Establishing Maryland's Center for Firearm Violence Prevention and Intervention.

• HB 810 (2024): Addressing auto-sear devices used to convert firearms to automatic fire.

• HB 947 (2024) — Gun Industry Accountability Act: Establishing accountability standards for members of the firearm industry.

• SB 160/HB 284 (2026): Strengthening reporting requirements following certain gun-dealer security breaches.

• SB 620/HB 1061 (2026): Addressing penalties involving certain repeat handgun offenses.

Making Our Roads & Neighborhoods Safer

Public safety doesn't stop with preventing crime. Families should be able to walk through their neighborhoods, cross the street, bike, drive, and get their children to school safely.

​

Vulnerable Road User Protection Act — SB 487 (2026): Senator Henson sponsored legislation creating a new tool to address dangerous speeding in designated safety corridors where pedestrians, bicyclists, and other vulnerable road users face heightened risks.

​

The measure authorizes targeted speed-monitoring systems in qualifying safety corridors, giving State and local transportation officials another tool to reduce dangerous driving and prevent serious injuries and deaths.

​

The legislation received support during the legislative process from organizations including the Maryland Department of Transportation, State Highway Administration, Maryland police chiefs and sheriffs, AAA Mid-Atlantic, and the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland.

​

Prevention & Intervention

Senator Henson believes the most effective public-safety strategy is one that prevents violence whenever possible—not one that waits until after someone has been hurt.

​

She has sponsored legislation to establish Local Youth Violence Review Committees, bringing agencies and community partners together to examine youth violence and homicides, identify contributing factors, improve coordination, and develop strategies to prevent future violence.

​

She also supported the establishment of Maryland's Center for Firearm Violence Prevention and Intervention, creating a statewide structure for coordinating data, resources, public-health strategies, and community-based approaches to firearm violence.

​

Prevention also means recognizing the connections between public safety, behavioral health, young people's access to opportunity, safe housing, strong schools, and stable communities.

​

Accountability & Community Trust

Public safety and civil rights are not competing priorities.

​

Senator Henson believes effective law enforcement depends on public trust. That means giving officers the authority and resources necessary to protect the public while maintaining clear standards, transparency, accountability, and respect for constitutional rights.

​

Her work has supported statewide standards governing law-enforcement conduct and identification, protections for residents' constitutional rights, and policies intended to strengthen trust between Maryland communities and the institutions charged with protecting them.

​

Standing with Victims, Families & Communities

Legislation is only one part of the work.

​

Senator Henson has consistently used her voice to stand with victims of violence, survivors, young people, and families whose lives have been changed by crime and gun violence.

​

Following the Uvalde school shooting, she stood with young people and community advocates at the Annapolis March for Our Lives, calling attention to gun violence and the need for action to protect children and communities.

​

She has also earned the Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate distinction in both 2022 and 2026.

​

Building Safer Communities

There is no single law that makes a community safe.

​

Public safety requires effective law enforcement, violence prevention, responsible gun policies, safer roads, behavioral-health intervention, strong neighborhoods, support for victims, and accountability throughout the justice system.

​

Senator Henson's work reflects that comprehensive approach—preventing harm where possible, responding effectively when it occurs, and making sure every family has the opportunity to live safely and well.