A Safer City

RBR011714

Originally posted in The Rawlings-Blake Review, Issue #187

My administration’s top priority is to reduce crime in Baltimore.

Our crime fighting strategy is centered on apprehending the most violent repeat offenders, gangs, and drug dealers. When we released a strategic plan for the police department late last year, the report made clear that this is the right strategy. And I want to thank the Baltimore Police Department for all their hard work in 2013, including helping to take more than 1,800 guns off of Baltimore City streets and making more than 1,000 arrests of repeat and violent offenders.

But we must improve our execution of that strategy and build relationships between police and the community to begin seeing the crime reductions we all want to see.

Crime is down in virtually every major category but our homicide rate remains stubbornly high. There is too much blood being shed on our city streets and too many lives lost to senseless violence. We know that our current challenges will not improve with just a few thoughtful gestures or comments, and that it will require all of us to do a little more.

I am committed to driving violent crime down while maintaining a high level of mutual trust and confidence between police and the community. I refuse to accept the current situation as a way of life. Working together we can make Baltimore a safer place, now and in the future.

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