Latest news with #GroupViolenceReductionStrategy
CBS News
20-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Youth violence reduction to be focus of Ivan Bates annual community town hall
Baltimore City State's Attorney, Ivan Bates, is hosting his second annual Public Safety Townhall, Community Conversation Tuesday. The town hall will include Bates and other city leaders, and focus on discussing strategies for reducing juvenile crime. Crime involving youth in Baltimore City Curbing violence among juveniles has been an ongoing task for Baltimore City leaders. Just Monday, two teens aged 15 and 16 were injured after a shooting in Southeast Baltimore. On April 26, two 17-year-olds were injured after a shooting in Southwest Baltimore. Days later, a group of 16 teenagers were charged with a string of violent crimes, including robbery, auto theft, and assault. The overall effort to reduce crime in the city has persisted for years, with some positive results. Baltimore Mayor Scott's crime reduction efforts Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott has implemented multiple programs to reduce youth violence, including the city's Group Violence Reduction Strategy (GVRS). Scott has praised the program, crediting it for helping the city reach a 24% reduction in homicides, and a 34% reduction in non-fatal shootings in 2024 compared to 2023. According to the Mayor, GVRS "facilitates direct, sustained engagement with a small number of group-involved individuals who are the most likely to be the victim or perpetrator of violence." The program first launched in Baltimore's Western District in January 2022 and later expanded to the Southwestern, Central, and Eastern Districts. The city also implemented the Summer Youth Engagement Strategy. To help deter violence, the initiative established a curfew for city youth, along with specialized youth programming. Scott said that after implementing the program last summer, the number of shooting victims decreased by 66%, and the number of aggravated assault victims dropped by 31%. The programming includes 42 summer campsites through recreation and parks, and the return of the city's Rock the Block parties, midnight basketball, and parties at the Druid Hill Pool. In addition, hours at nine of the city's recreation centers throughout the city will be extended until 11 p.m. every Friday and Saturday from June 20 until Aug. 16.
CBS News
29-04-2025
- CBS News
16 teenagers charged with violent crimes in Baltimore over the weekend
Sixteen teenagers were charged with a string of violent crimes over the weekend. The teens range in age from 13 to 17, and three of them are being charged as adults, according to police. Baltimore Police say 11 of the teens have prior arrest records, and two of them have been arrested more than nine times. Seven were released to a guardian. Among the crimes committed are robbery, auto theft, and assault. "It is incredibly frustrating to see young people involved in violent crimes across our city," Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said. "Our officers are working every day to keep our neighborhoods safe, but real, lasting change requires all of us, from our families, schools, community leaders, and the justice system, working together. We cannot arrest our way out of this problem. We need accountability, early intervention, and real support for our youth to break this cycle and build a safer future for Baltimore." Mayor touts decline in crime Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott discussed in an interview with WJZ on April 23 his administration's aggressive efforts to attack crime. Scott said the city has seen a 40% reduction in murders since 2020; shootings are down 43% over that time; robberies are down 23% since last year; carjackings are down 19%.; and auto thefts are down 40%. "We said that we were going to reduce homicides by 15 %, and we did that, we beat it, that is great progress, but we have a lot more building to do together, Mayor Scott told WJZ. Mayor Scott says the approach to decreasing crime numbers and investing in young people is working despite a shortage of nearly 500 police officers. "Statistics will show, unless you have something that connects them with something better, they will revert back to something they did before, creating this cycle that we're seeing over and over again," Mayor Scott said. "The way that we operate now is the way we should have been operating forever, not putting everything on the backs of BPD. There are other things for other agencies to handle, and they have to have investment to do that." Investing in youth and safety Mayor Scott said during his State of the City address on April 21 that youth and public safety are major investments in the city's proposed budget for fiscal year 2026. According to the mayor, the spending plan involves $624.8 million for youth initiatives, including $6.9 million to expand the YouthWorks summer jobs program to 8,500 participants at $15 per hour and funding for two new recreation centers. Public safety would receive $1.2 billion, with full funding for the citywide expansion of the Group Violence Reduction Strategy and continued efforts to transition administrative police tasks to civilian roles, according to the proposed budget.
CBS News
09-04-2025
- CBS News
City leaders to announce takedown of group connected to drug trafficking in south Baltimore
Baltimore City leaders, including Mayor Brandon Scott, and Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown will announce the takedown of a group who they allege is connected to violence and fentanyl overdoses in South Baltimore. The takedown is one of multiple recent busts as a result of Baltimore's Group Violence Reduction Strategy. In a major takedown dubbed 'Operation Tornado Alley' , police targeted four criminal organizations operating in Southwest Baltimore. The six-month-long investigation that ended in Nov. 2024 involved collaboration with between city and federal law enforcement led to the recovery of nearly $400,000 in cash, large amounts of cocaine and fentanyl, and the seizure of nearly 70 guns. The evidence also included 15 stolen cars. After the takedown, police said they put a stop to a planned murder. The bust resulted in the indictment of nearly 40 individuals, ranging from ages 16 through 60. Investigators said the group operated in the 2000 block of West Pratt Street; the 500 block of Millington Avenue; the 1700 block of Lemmon Street; and the 2800 block of Edmondson Avenue. Baltimore's GVRS program has been credited as being a driving force behind the reduction of violent crime in the city. Baltimore City Mayor Scott says the program has helped Baltimore achieve significant drops in gun violence. Homicides went down 23% in 2024, with a total of 201 compared to 261 homicides in 2023.
CBS News
02-04-2025
- Business
- CBS News
What's in Baltimore City's fiscal 2026 budget?
Mayor Brandon Scott has announced Baltimore City's fiscal 2026 budget, which is expected to address an $85 million shortfall while making several investments. The budget balances the deficit through $26.6 million in new revenue from updated fee structures, $43.7 million in citywide cost optimizations, and $14.7 million in agency-specific reductions. The proposal does not include increases in property or income taxes. "These decisions look to avoid mistakes of the past, which balanced the budget on the backs of core services and investments in our communities," Scott said in a statement accompanying the budget proposal. The spending plan includes $624.8 million for youth initiatives, including $6.9 million to expand the YouthWorks summer jobs program to 8,500 participants at $15 per hour and funding for two new recreation centers. Public safety receives $1.2 billion, with full funding for the citywide expansion of the Group Violence Reduction Strategy and continued efforts to transition administrative police tasks to civilian roles. These efforts are expected to save $1.1 million annually in overtime costs. The budget allocates $1.1 billion for neighborhood services, including $5 million to enhance trash and recycling collection with 15 additional crews and $36.7 million from the Opioid Restitution Fund to combat the opioid epidemic. Scott's plan also includes $346.4 million for neighborhood development, featuring an additional $1.5 million for the mayor's $3 billion vacant housing initiative. That funding will also cover Bmore FAST , a new program to improve the city's property permitting process. $2 million to establish a new Office of Art, Culture, and Entertainment. The capital budget marks the largest investment in 20 years, with $125 million in borrowing for capital projects 56% increase from previous levels-targeting affordable housing, school construction, and city parks. The budget now moves to the City Council for review before the start of the fiscal year on July 1. According to The Baltimore Banner , the plan relies on $200 million in federal funding and does not account for any cuts to income tax revenue as a result of Baltimoreans laid off by the federal government. The Trump administration's recent cuts to federal funding and ongoing efforts to shrink the size of the federal workforce have created an air of uncertainty. As many of Maryland's federal workers who were laid off search for new career opportunities , agencies, and organizations are assessing the impact of federal funding cuts. On Monday, state education leaders said they were shocked after the federal government rescinded a reimbursement of $360 million in funding that was previously committed to state schools.
CBS News
18-03-2025
- CBS News
Two sentenced for leading violent drug trafficking organization, Maryland AG says
Two Baltimore men were sentenced Monday for leading a violent drug trafficking organization in Baltimore City, according to the Maryland Attorney General's Office. James Brunson, 41, and Ernest Hudson, 38, were charged with conspiring to supervise a criminal organization, among other charges. The organization operated in Baltimore City's Shipley Booth-Boyd and Fayette Street neighborhoods. Hudson pleaded guilty on August 12 to several charges including supervising a criminal organization, distribution of a large amount of fentanyl, and possession of a firearm after being convicted of a felony. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison, with the first 5 years to be served without the possibility of parole. Brunson pleaded guilty on March 10 to several charges, including conspiring to supervise a criminal organization and the illegal possession of a regulated firearm, the AG said. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison, with the first 15 years suspended in favor of 3 years supervised probation. The first five years of his sentenced will be served without the possibility of parole. In March 2023, 33 individuals were indicted following a 16-month organization. The operation was a collaborative effort between the Maryland Attorney General's Office and the Baltimore Police Department. "Cases like this one that remove guns, drugs, and dangerous people from our streets make our communities safer and serve as a clear warning: if you choose to spread violence and terrorize our neighbors, we will find you, we will prosecute you, and you will be held fully accountable," Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said. The 33 indicted individuals, aged 21 to 54, face charges of conspiracy to distribute controlled dangerous substances and firearms offenses. The organization relied on a "complex hierarchy of suppliers, managers, street lieutenants, and low-level street dealers," distributing heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine, the AG said in a statement . Officials said the gang used violence, and the threat of violence, to enforce their territory in south, southwest, and west Baltimore. Three of the suspects were charged with first-degree attempted murder related to shootings captured on camera. Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott commented, noting that the city's Group Violence Reduction Strategy has played a role in reducing crime. "GVRS continues to allow us to pursue the violent groups who are most responsible for harming our communities," Scott said. "While we offer those at the highest risk of violence a way out of life through services and life coaching, we have to balance support for those who want it with accountability for those who choose to continue to use guns and participate in violent groups." Mayor Scott has frequently mentioned the GVRS program in discussions of reducing violent crime in the city. The program , which pairs community violence intervention with proactive policing - has been implemented in four of the nine police districts in Baltimore. Scott credited the program for the 34% decrease in non-fatal shootings between 2023 and 2024 in Baltimore City. The city also saw a 74% reduction in teen victims of homicides and non-fatal shootings in 2024. Homicides and non-fatal shootings in Baltimore are down compared to this time last year, Scott said last month . Scott has said more work remains to continue reducing violence. "My administration remains committed to approaching public safety the right way, emphasizing violence prevention & intervention alongside law enforcement, and working with partners across all levels of government, in the judicial system, and – most importantly – in our communities," the mayor said in a social media post last month .
