Baltimore Police say progress made against violent crimes, but car thefts still concerning
BALTIMORE - Baltimore City is on pace to have less than 300 homicides this year for the first time in nearly a decade.
Not all crime is trending down, but there are positive signs overall.
Car thefts have more than tripled in the past year as officials cite automakers for vulnerabilities making them easier to steal.
However, Baltimore City leaders say violent crime elsewhere is down.
"It sounds encouraging," Baltimore resident Toni Smith said.
"With the homicide and the shootings going down, that's a good thing," Baltimore resident Joseph Kirk said. "But, we have other types of crime that is going on in the city."
There are signs of significant progress in the city's violent crime stats with homicides down 21% compared to last year.
Non-fatal shootings have eclipsed 600 but are still down 9%.
"Every one of those instances is a constant reminder of how much work we have to do and how much safer we can make the city," Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said. "Despite even the worst tragedy in our city's history, with Brooklyn Day, we're 60 shootings less than we had last year."
Worley on Wednesday told the city council an increase in gun seizures and the city's group violence reduction strategy is working.
"The strategy, coupled with arrests and removing more guns off our streets, has me feeling cautiously optimistic we can come in under 300 homicides," Worley said.
"Those are not just numbers for me. Those are actual Baltimoreans," Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said. "Those are actual communities who have consistently been dealing with that."
Scott argues the progress comes while the police department remains under federal oversight.
"We don't have to make a false choice about whether we can drive down violence and focus on constitutional policing," Scott said. "We're doing both."
There are parts of Baltimore still experiencing elevated levels of violence.
The 9th Council district in parts of west and southwest Baltimore has had 41 homicides and 98 shootings in the past year.
Those are both more than any other section in the city.
Kirk said he's hopeful the numbers keep trending down, but it's on all of us to do so.
"We have to see," Kirk said. "It's up to the community to make that decision. Like I said, it's strength in numbers. The more numbers we have, the more strength we got."
Commissioner Worley council that he and other police brass are meeting on Thursday with local and state law enforcement partners at police headquarters to specifically address juvenile crime prevention.
