'My Office Takes Violent Crime Seriously': Mosby Releases Term Report & Shares Data Dashboard
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Citing a 90% conviction rate for violent crimes over the past seven years, Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby said Tuesday her office remains committed to justice even as the city grapples with a rise in crime.
Mosby's remarks came during a news conference she called to release the findings of her agency's 52-page term report and to unveil a new interactive data dashboard that she said will empower the public to monitor prosecutors' work in real time.
"Any time we experience increases in homicide, like the increases we're currently undergoing, the public should ask questions about what their city institutions are doing to tackle the problem," Mosby said. "And to be honest, the citizens of the city deserve to ask those questions and demand transparency and accountability."
DOCUMENT: View the State's Attorney's Office's term report | DATA: Access the State's Attorney's interactive data dashboard
The city and its officials have been frequent targets of criticism amid a recent wave of violent crime. Baltimore has seen 68 homicides and 134 non-deadly shootings so far in 2022, compared to 55 homicides and 104 non-deadly shootings for the same period last year, according to the latest figures provided by police.
Mosby said her office has averaged a 90% conviction rate for violent offenses since she took office, along with an 88% conviction rate for mandatory minimum eligible cases and a 92% conviction rate for violent repeat offenders, conviction rates she said are on par with those of her predecessors over the past 10 years.
"What you will find in this report is that even despite recent crime rate increases, our commitment to justice has been and continues to be unwavering," she said.
The 52-page report provides a detailed breakdown of conviction rates, community engagement efforts, victim and witness services, and policy milestones the state's attorney's office has achieved under Mosby's leadership.
Using the interactive data dashboard, residents can track arrests, indictments, convictions, sentences and other data points, along with various demographics, gleaned from public records and measure them against historical data.
"The information in the data dashboard and in the term report is irrefutable evidence that my office takes violent crime seriously," the state's attorney said. "What is clear from both this cumulative report and the data dashboard is that transparency is paramount."
Mosby has been a repeated magnet for criticism from Gov. Larry Hogan, who has publicly accused her office of not prosecuting violent criminals. During a feud over prosecution data, Hogan threatened to withhold some of her agency's funding.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday, the governor said there is no question that the city's violence has escalated. He said the state has stepped in several times and "we've arrested hundreds of violent repeat offenders, but nobody ever goes to jail, so the shooters are still on the streets shooting people."
"I understand the complete frustration of the people of Baltimore, that they haven't been able to address the problem and they're not willing to," Hogan said. "Really a big part of the problem is the prosecutor's office, as well. I mean, sometimes...Baltimore City police are doing a decent job, but they keep arresting the same people over and over and over again and no one ever gets prosecuted."
While Mosby and Hogan have routinely traded barbs during public appearances, neither mentioned the other by name.
"There's been a lot of misinformation spread by certain politicians and certain sections of the media that intentionally attempt to drive a negative narrative about the crime in our city, about city leadership overall and about the effectiveness of my office," Mosby said. "But let me be very clear today, I'm releasing a cumulative annual report that shows, despite all the challenges that the city has faced in the past seven years, my office has achieved milestones that I am tremendously proud of."
During the news conference, Mosby echoed comments previously made by Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison, who said one of the biggest challenges law enforcement faces is getting cooperation from witnesses.
"You can't blame the police if nobody's coming forward, you can't blame my office because there's no perpetrator that has been identified yet. Now, when we get them, what this data shows is we're more likely to convict them," she said. "But we have to change the culture in our city, and that's something we're committed to doing."
The state's attorney was coy when asked about her political future, though it's expected that she will seek reelection.
Mosby also is scheduled to stand trial in May on federal charges of perjury and making false statements. She is accused of lying about financial hardships related to COVID-19 and lying on mortgage applications for her Florida vacation homes.