BALTIMORE — The sidewalks are relatively empty now, but this section of Frederick Avenue has long been known as an open air drug market.
“For about 15 years, I got my hair cut at Frederick and Collins,” said Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, “For all of those many years, this has been a problem.”
Not anymore.
City leaders say after an intense four-month-long investigation, the major players in this localized drug trade organization or DTO are now in custody.
“Ten search warrants were executed in relation to the DTO operating in Baltimore’s Irvington neighborhood,” said Chief of Major Investigations Unit Samantha Mildenburg, “10 members have since been apprehended, and two individuals, Mr. Kevin Williams, and a 17-year-old juvenile currently have open warrants out for their arrests.”
Baltimore City police didn’t do this on their own. It enlisted the help of surrounding counties’ police agencies, state police and a host of federal partners—-all to help bring down the group.
Their seizures speak for themselves.
“Nine firearms, 38 grams of suspected fentanyl mixture, 6.5 pounds of marijuana, 256 grams of suspected heroin and approximately 69 grams of suspected cocaine,” said Police Commissioner Richard Worley.
The challenge now will be to keep Frederick and Collins Avenues free of the drugs, which have typically flowed through here at a cost to the entire community.
“MONSE activated a coordinated stabilization response in the surrounding community to really start to address the trauma, provide resources and other needs to meet the needs our residents have,” said MONSE Director Stefanie Mavronis.
