BALTIMORE (WBFF) - Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan sent a letter criticizing Baltimore's crime-fighting strategy as too "status quo," and saying the state could give Baltimore an extra $21 million only if it sends "acceptable" measures and reports on reducing violent crime.

Mayor Jack Young appealed to Hogan for help this summer, amidst a surge in murders and other violence in the city.

"While we are committed to continuing to provide the city with unprecedented state support, the people of Baltimore City want and deserve results from their own city leaders," he wrote.

He said the state is prepared to give $21 million in state funding, which includes $7 million requested by Young and Harrison in an Aug. 23 meeting.

"While your new Crime Reduction Strategy takes some important steps in the right direction, much of what you are proposing represents the status quo and is already being done or has been tried before," wrote Hogan in a letter to Mayor Bernard "Jack" Young and Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison. "The state is already doing much of what you recently requested us to do, and we are prepared to do even more. You have inherited a difficult situation, but now is the time to show the people of the city that we are all serious about stopping this deadly violence and getting shooters off of the streets."

Hogan is urging Young and Harrison to set "aggressive but achievable benchmarks" like getting homicides back under 200 a year and having a homicide clearance rate of 60 percent, instead of 40 percent.

He also urged them to support tougher sentences for first-time and repeat offenders who use guns, which he says his administration will propose next year.

"Unfortunately, the city's elected leaders and lawmakers refused to support this and failed to take actions that would help get the shooters and most violent criminals off our streets and behind bars," Hogan wrote.

Gov. Hogan and Mayor Young spoke to the media last month after city leaders appealed to the state for help in finding crime