Posted on 06/10/25
| News Source: FOX45
During last week’s budget hearing before members of Baltimore City Council, City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates reported in 2024 his office charged 2,891 felony cases, and closed 3,115 felony cases.
Bates further broke down his data, telling council members the increased incarceration of defendants convicted of gun crimes has contributed to the drop in homicides and shootings.
“The data and research says about 5-6,000 violent offenders running around with guns are doing the murders and the shootings. To date we’ve figured we’ve put almost 2500 of those individuals in prison. It's not something we’re proud of to just put people in jail. But these are the individuals running around shooting and killing individuals. We’ve targeted the right people to put them in prison,” Bates said.
When it comes to gun convictions, Bates said 2,129 cases resulted in jail time in 2023 and 2024 - well over double and about 200 cases shy of triple the 780 cases in 2021 and 2022, according to the City State’s Attorney.
Bates said his prosecutors have also been requesting enhanced penalties on these individuals, such as five years without the possibility of parole, and overall the number of repeat violent offenders who received prison time (1,723) vs. probation (781) has more than doubled in 2023 and 2024 compared to 2022 and 2021.
“The data has shown us going after the violent individuals that have these handguns would help reduce the homicides and violence we’ve seen in our city,” Bates said.
Law enforcement expert Jason Johnson has said he believes targeting guns and repeat violent offenders is key in reducing homicides and shootings.
“It is probably more important to remove from the streets people who will do harm with those guns. People who are out there. Career criminals. People arrested multiple times for violent crimes. To make sure that they are held accountable. That they are removed from the streets as well. that's probably more important,” Johnson said.
Bates said goals for fiscal year 2026 include filling the 14 unfrozen assistant state’s attorney positions and receiving funding for his Body Worn Camera Unit.