'We Can't Keep Living This Way' Maryland Lawmakers Discuss New Ways To Curb City Crime
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- When Angela Royster thinks about her son Devin, she smiles.
"What I miss the most from my son is the way he would say 'hi ma,'" she said in an interview with WJZ Wednesday.
Her son Devin was only 21 when he was killed two years ago.
Now she's one of many families in Baltimore City living with the permanent scars of losing a loved one.
#NEWS: this is 21 yo Devin Rodgers, killed in #Baltimore. His Mom says their family isn't the same. It's partly why officials like @RepKweisiMfume wrote a letter to U.S. Attorney Gen. Garland asking for help & resources to fight crime (like more @ATFHQ Agents)
— Annie Rose Ramos (@AnnieRoseNews) August 12, 2021
Our story on @wjz pic.twitter.com/hpUSZ1Jzkr
"We can't keep living this way," said Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-7th District) in an interview with WJZ.
Angela's Story is just one of the many reasons why Baltimore's Congressional Delegation sent a letter Monday to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, asking for help.
"We're asking for 10 additional ATF agents, we're asking for 15 Deputy Marshals," said Sen. Chris Van Hollen, (D-Md.) who was among the officials to write and sign the letter along with Rep. Mfume and Sen. Ben Cardin (D-3rd District).
"We're going to try as best we can to augment the Baltimore Police Department," said Rep. Mfume.
"The bottom line is we'll all work together, the homicide needs to come down," Sen. Cardin added Wednesday.
The letter asks why cities like Washington D.C. have more staffing from federal law enforcement than Baltimore.
"I don't know the last time there has been a re-evaluation of levels of agency resources," said Rep. Mfume.
The Delegation met with the Mayor in July where Sen. Van Hollen said they strategized how to pool resources and best partner to support the Mayor's plan to fight violent crime and pledged their support.
Sen. Cardin said they expect a response from the Department of Justice sometime in August and he hopes to get commitments, in terms of what resources the city will get, by September.
Read the full letter here: