Murders Increase In Baltimore Through First Half Of 2019
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — As of July 11, there have been 171 murders in Baltimore.
13 of those have happened since July 1.
The first half of 2019 has been full of deadly gun violence, with often multiple shootings daily throughout one of Maryland's most violent cities.
Baltimore City Fraternal Order of Police released their year-to-date homicide rate from the last two years Wednesday morning but updated it Thursday after three more homicides occurred throughout Wednesday and overnight Thursday.
This time last year, there had been 147 murders. This year, the number has already hit 170, a 16 percent increase.
In a 28 percent increase, there have been 388 non-fatal shootings/failed murders in 2019, with 31 of those since June 30, according to Baltimore FOP.
After citing these numbers, FOP tweeted #CityInCrisis and tagged the Baltimore Police Department's Twitter account.
Pressure mounted recently for Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison to create and execute a crime plan for the City that could turn around the violence and problems within the Baltimore Police Department.
Last month, Baltimore City Council gave Harrison five days to come up with a comprehensive plan.
He delivered a proposal to them at a City Council meeting by the end of the week, proposing to spend $53 million on crime investigation.
During the meeting, he said the first step to a solution is "admitting we have a problem,"
Baltimore's Mayor Jack Young has made numerous pleas to the public to stop the bloodshed, and speak up if they know something in any active cases.
"Everybody knows what's going on, they [are] in your families, and you know what they are doing, turn them in," he said on June 19.
At the time, he voiced his own frustrations with the lack of community reporting when these shootings and murders occur.
"Everybody wants to say we are not doing anything," Young said. "But my question is, what are we doing as a community to say enough is enough and to start reporting and turning these people in"?