BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Police Department released their mid-year crime report and it details how the department has seen double digit reductions in gun violence.
It includes a 36% decrease in homicides and a 30% decrease in non-fatal shootings.
"Homicides and shootings are both down over 30 percent. That's 50 less homicide victims this year but that also means we're approaching 100 homicides for the year but it's still too many,” said Commissioner Richard Worley.
During this time, clearance rates for homicides has improved to 70.1%, an increase of 24% from this time last year.
“I want to thank the hard-working men and women of the Baltimore Police Department. Their ongoing dedication to our city and collaboration with the communities we serve has contributed to decreases in violent crime, as well as our ongoing commitment to regaining the public’s trust,” said Worley.
Here are some key highlights from the report:
- Arrests are up 13%, including a 72% increase in misdemeanor drug arrests.
- Juvenile victims of homicide and non-fatal shootings are down 41%.
- The Department has seized 1125 guns and 169 ghost guns, averaging seven gun seizures a day.
- BPD’s proactive enforcement has increased by 66%, including increasing foot patrols and bike patrols by 211% and 68%, respectively
As of July 8, 2024, year-to-date homicides are down 33.8% (96 compared to 145) and non-fatal shootings are down 36.5% (217 compared to 342).
Worley said no one group can do it alone, that's where community organizations come into play.
"It's the person that's holding the gun, or the person that has a bat or the person that just wants to do whatever, that says look I got to be more peaceful for myself let me put the gun down,” said Darnyle Wharton who is the Spokesperson and Founding Member of the Baltimore Peace Movement.
The Baltimore Peace Movement is formally known as Baltimore Ceasefire. Wharton said the group came up with an idea to bring forth change back in 2018 by creating a 72 hour weekend challenge.
"At the time that we came up with it someone was getting killed in Baltimore every 19 hours. We felt that the city needed some kind of jolt to say hey we be more peaceful how can we do it,” said Wharton.
Four times a year the group calls on everyone in the city to have events that foster peace and nonviolence, no matter how big or small.
"We've had people do parades we have people do cookouts, we have people do basketball tournaments we have people do fashion shows, runs through the parks," said Wharton.
He said the results have proven to be a success.
"We've had weekends where nobody was killed. We've had weekends where nobody was killed and it went to 11 and half days afterwards," said Wharton.
A team effort that takes everyone. Something Commissioner Worley said he wants to continue to build.
