Baltimore ends ID checkpoints in Fells Point

Baltimore's ID checkpoint policy for the Fells Point entertainment district has ended, Mayor Brandon Scott's office said Monday. 

The checkpoints were established back in July for the influx of people expected to attend Sail250 Baltimore. They were part of a broader safety policy to combat fights, threats of violence, outside alcohol consumption and marijuana use, the mayor's office said.

With the checkpoints in place, residents looking to enter Fells Point establishments were asked to show a physical ID or the verified TSA phone wallet app. 

Baltimore police reserved the right to inspect all bags for weapons, and they enforced a ban on outside alcoholic beverages. All children ages 17 and under were also required to be accompanied by an adult 25 or older with a valid ID. 

Did the Fells Point checkpoints work?

The mayor's office said the checkpoints appeared to be successful in deterring some criminal activity, like preventing underage patrons from accessing bars.

"Throughout the summer and since Sail250 weekend, BPD has documented a slight decrease in aggravated assaults and robberies in the Fells Point neighborhood, compared to the same time period last summer with similar numbers of 911 calls across both time periods," the mayor's office said in a statement to CBS News Baltimore. 

The statement went on to say, "additionally, the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE) has recorded an 87% decline in ground-level engagements since the Sail250 weekend. Compared to last year, average attendance at the Mayor's Office of Community Affairs Rock the Block events has increased by 15% (145 attendees per event in 2026 vs. 126 per event in 2025)."

CBS News Baltimore spoke with residents and visitors in the area, some of whom said they're in favor of the checkpoints returning every summer. 

"They need to start it sooner, because they kind of worked into it later on and then, I think, the solution came a little too late for what we would normally expect. But once they got it in place, I think most people down here were very happy about that," one man said.

"I think we should keep them forever. What we had here a month ago was pretty apocalyptic, so I think we should keep them," another man added. 

Businesses also said they noticed a difference right away. 

"A lot calmer down here, which means that customers are more likely to come out, because I think the first few weekends, before the checkpoints were set up, it was a little slow, because people were a little scared to come down because they saw what was going on on the news," one worker said. 

While some residents said they felt safer with the checkpoints, others still had some reservations. 

"I think the influx of people is a disruption. I don't know if the checkpoints, specifically, have changed the behaviors that have been happening, right? I'm not sure, but we kind of changed our way of life of not being a part of any of that at that time of night," said one woman. 

Recent arrests on weapons charges in Fells Point

The end of the checkpoint policy comes after Baltimore police recently arrested multiple people on weapons charges in Fells Point. They were accused of driving recklessly and hindering traffic in the busy entertainment district.

Officers were conducting an enforcement when they "observed a vehicle performing donuts, driving recklessly, and obstructing traffic," said a statement posted on social media. "Three passengers were observed hanging out of the vehicles windows. As officers approached, the vehicle fled the scene." 

Police found the vehicle a short time later in the 200 block of Bethel Street. The people in the car had left the vehicle, but police were able to locate three female passengers, ages 46, 33, and 30.  

During the search of the vehicle, officers said they found two loaded handguns, one of which had the serial number scratched out.

The driver of the vehicle was identified as 34-year-old Demetrius Thompson, and a search warrant was initiated at a home in the 1700 block of E. Federal Street. 

"During the search, officers recovered six additional firearms, including rifles, as well as various firearm accessories," police said.  

BPD said Thompson was not allowed to own a gun due to his prior convictions. He also had a warrant for his arrest from the Baltimore City Sheriff's Office.