Baltimore City Council committee addresses public safety concerns despite dip in violent crime

BALTIMORE -- Members of a Baltimore City Council committee shared concerns about public safety despite the downward trend of violent crime.

Baltimore's Public Safety and Government Operations Committee addressed the city's latest crime data and crime prevention efforts on Wednesday as detectives investigated a shooting at the Johnston Square Apartments that killed a 33-year-old man.

Crime concerns persist

Members of the committee welcomed the positive stats on the city's crime but shared their concerns as well, especially when it comes to juvenile crime.

"In the southeast part of my district, which is like the Patterson Park area, we have seen a dramatic increase in juvenile robberies and things of that nature there," said city councilman Antonio Glover.

There have been 422 more juveniles arrested compared to last year, according to police.

At the hearing, Deputy Chief Lisa Reynolds said police have been able to keep better track of juvenile offenders.

She added that police are working to develop a new dashboard to not only help more with tracking but also with connecting youth to resources.

"It's not just about the arrest, it's also about where we can intervene with services and support. Where we can connect with agencies," Reynolds said. "In doing that, and having a youth dashboard, it'll really facilitate all of this."

Baltimore's homicide numbers

Around 8:50 a.m. Wednesday, Baltimore Police responded to the Johnston Square Apartments on Preston Street after getting reports of a shooting.

Once there, officers found a 33-year-old man who'd been shot. The man - later identified as Paul Lee - died after being taken to the hospital.

There have been 174 homicides in the city, according to the latest police data, which is down 56 from this point last year.

"It's certainly paying off"

Some of the Baltimore Police Department's top brass and the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, or MONSE, detailed their latest crime reduction efforts at a hearing with the city council's Public Safety and Government Operations Committee.

Commissioner Richard Worley showed homicides and shootings are still down compared to last year.

The city is seeing 16% fewer victims of gun violence compared to last year, according to CBS News Baltimore's Gun Violence Tracker.

Also, homicides are being cleared at a rate of 68.5%, up from 42.2% last year. Shootings, meanwhile, are being cleared at a rate of 42%. Last year, the clearance rate for shootings was 29.9%.

"We've done this with less than 2,000 cops, which is a first time in my 27 years," Worley said. "The majority of my career [we had] 3,000 cops."

Six Safe Streets sites also have reached 365+ days without homicides, according to MONSE director Stefanie Mavronis. The Brooklyn community celebrated this milestone on Tuesday, Nov. 12. 

"It's certainly paying off on both sides, both BPD and MONSE, you guys clearly work well together," said city councilman Mark Conway, who also chairs the committee.