Posted on 10/03/22
| News Source: FOX45
Violence in Baltimore appears to have taken a dip, with September recording 13 homicides and the total number of people killed in 2022 is slightly lower than at the same time in 2021. However, while some leaders inside City Hall are pointing out the positives, others say now is not the time to take a victory lap.
Monday morning, Baltimore Police reported no overnight shootings or homicides. To date, 565 people have been shot and another 254 have been killed. While talking about community violence intervention programs who received federal grant money, Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Anthony Barksdale said “we are trending in the right direction” when it comes to homicide numbers.
“Imagine if I was saying we are plus 22,” Barksdale said. “Of course, there’s room for progress, I’m not arguing with you on that point. But minus one is a start.”
As of Oct. 3, there are four fewer homicides than at the same time in 2021 and September ended with the lowest recorded number of homicides for a single month since February 2015.
While speaking on a panel at the grant announcement, Barksdale touted Mayor Brandon Scott’s holistic crime strategy. He said he used to “believe arrest, arrest and arrest” but now he said, “policing alone won’t solve the problem.”
“All of these approaches are part of Mayor Scott’s holistic approach to break the cycle of violence,” Barksdale said.