Baltimore mayor, state's attorney discuss Bates' rift with city's public safety office
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott's office said he had a "productive conversation" with Ivan Bates on Wednesday after the state's attorney threatened to cut ties with the city's public safety office.
In a letter, Bates wrote that he is ending direct coordination with the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety Engagement (MONSE) because of a lack of transparency.
Mayor Scott has credited MONSE, along with police, prosecutors, and the Group Violence Reduction Strategy, with the dramatic drop in gun violence in Baltimore.
"Mayor Scott, State's Attorney Bates, and members of their respective staffs met this afternoon and had a productive conversation," Mayor Scott's Office stated. "Following today's meeting, we will continue to engage directly with the State's Attorney's Office to advance the ongoing discussion between our offices."
State's Attorney states concerns with MONSE
The Baltimore Banner reported recently that Bates sent seven pages of complaints to Mayor Scott office, alleging that MONSE operates behind a "cloak of secrecy."
Bates wrote that MONSE does not share his values of integrity and transparency.
The state's attorney wrote that he would continue to prosecute cases brought by Baltimore Police as required by law, including cases designated by MONSE as being part of the Group Violence Reduction Strategy (GVRS).
Bates said the state's attorney's office will "no longer directly coordinate with MONSE" within the framework of the strategy. He said that Bates would not be using $80,000 MONSE allocated to his office for work on GVRS.
"This office cannot maintain a direct association with an organization such as MONSE that has a reputation for deceptive practices, that continues to operate under a cloak of secrecy and continues to disregard the rights of the most important element of public safety, the victims," Bates wrote.
The mayor's office responds
A spokesperson with the mayor's office told WJZ it will continue to engage with Bates on his concerns.
Scott has recently touted the historic decline in violent crime, including homicides and shootings. As of Wednesday, December 17, Baltimore has reported 132 homicides this year, compared to 187 at this point last year. The city has also had 306 non-fatal shootings in 2025, down from 398 at this point in 2024.
"We remain deeply committed to the partnerships across the city that have driven our unprecedented violence reduction, especially our partnership with the State's Attorney's Office," a statement read.
The spokesperson added that any break in the partnership is a "distraction from the most important thing: saving lives and driving down violence."