Baltimore police beef up security in Federal Hill following street brawl
BALTIMORE -- One day after city leaders called on Baltimore City's Police Department to do more as disorder continues outside Cross Street Market, police are responding by increasing the number of officers in the area.
Council Member Eric Costello, who represents this area, told WJZ that he expects there will be a significant increase in police presence including proactive enforcement starting this weekend.
This action stems from a brawl that broke out on Charles Street in Federal Hill last weekend. A viral video shows people punching, kicking, and screaming at one another.
"These are two brawls of ten-plus participants happening simultaneously a hundred feet apart for minutes and minutes," Costello said.
One eyewitness, C.J. Shaw, described the scene as a chaotic one.
"People coming left, right; people trying to break it up getting swung into it," Shaw said.
Costello called on the police department to take immediate action.
Federal Hill Main Street is among six organizations demanding more from police and city leaders.
"There's not basic enforcement of basic laws such as illegal stopping, illegal parking, consumption of alcohol, illegal sales of alcohol," said Garrett Schiche, Board President of Federal Hill Main Street.
An investigation from the Board of Liquor License Commissioners on the night the fight happened found people were walking around with open bottles of liquor and selling drugs in public.
But others say the brawl has been overblown.
"We have lots of friends that live around the county and they say, 'Well, we won't come into Baltimore. It's too dangerous,' and I think that's ridiculous," a Federal Hill resident named Pat said.
