Baltimore community walk highlighting crime reduction comes as Trump threatens to send in National Guard

Several Maryland leaders participated in a community walk in Baltimore on Friday evening to highlight what they described as a historic drop in violent crime.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, State Police Superintendent Colonel Roland Butler, Jr., and City Police Commissioner Richard Worley were all in attendance. 

The walk, which began in the 4000 block of Pimlico Road around 5 p.m., came after President Trump said he would deploy the National Guard to the city to fight crime, despite opposition from state and city leaders.  

Some neighbors appreciated the governor's engagement with the community.

"It means that they are showing that we are one great city. We don't need the national guard in our neighborhoods. Baltimore is not such a bad city as Donald Trump makes it out to be," said Delilah Whitaker, a Park Heights resident.

Others thought the walk was performative.

"They are fake! This is a photo op...Look at all of that! He won't walk by himself, he won't walk with just a few people," another city resident said. "How are you going to ask the president to walk somewhere and you're not walking?"

Historic crime reductions 

Mr. Trump recently called the city a "hellhole" and said Baltimore is "so far gone" on crime. However, city officials point to Baltimore's continued progress in its crime reduction efforts. 

"When it comes to public safety in Baltimore, [President Trump] should turn off the right-wing propaganda and look at the facts. Baltimore is the safest it's been in over 50 years," Mayor Scott said in response to some of the president's comments in August. 

At the beginning of September, the mayor's office said data showed historically low violent crime numbers. The city recorded its fewest homicides during the first eight months of the year in more than 50 years, with 91 cases, Mayor Scott said. 

The city saw a 29.5% drop in homicides and a 21% drop in nonfatal shootings compared to the same timeframe in 2024, data from the mayor's office showed. 

"None of us are celebrating and saying that we solved gun violence. What we are saying is we are in the best position that we've ever been in 50 years, and now we want to take it further," Mayor Scott said during the community walk.  

Police Commissioner Richard Worley also chimed in, stating," The progress we made is the result of the hard work of our Baltimore police department and the strength of our community."

In April, Baltimore recorded just five homicides, the lowest monthly amount in history, according to the mayor's office. 

As of late August, auto thefts, robberies and carjackings are also down compared to 2024, the mayor's office said. 

On Friday, Mike Mancuso, the president of the Baltimore Police Union, expressed support for the National Guard deployment, saying, "It appears that in D.C., the additional boots on the ground have had a positive impact on crime and public safety. Throughout my entire career, I've heard politicians say, 'If it just saves one life, isn't it worth it?' Well, why not in this case? Baltimore is short 600-700 cops, and the brave ones that are left are severely overworked. Let's keep politics out of this and welcome those who want to help in the crime fight no matter what town or city. Criminals are the problem, not those that want to protect good, hard-working people."

Trump on Baltimore crime 

Despite the reported crime decline in Baltimore, Mr. Trump on Tuesday said he would deploy the National Guard to the city. During those same remarks, the president also said he would deploy federal law enforcement to Chicago. 

"Chicago is a hellhole right now, Baltimore is a hellhole right now," Mr. Trump said Tuesday. "We have a right to do it because I have an obligation to do it to protect this country, and that includes Baltimore."

In early August, he initiated a federal intervention in Washington, D.C., in a crime crackdown.

Gov. Moore criticized the move as "deeply dangerous," and later called the president's rhetoric on crime "purely performative." 

"While the President is spending his time from the Oval Office making jabs and attacks at us, there are people actually on the ground doing the work who know what supports would actually work to continue to bring down crime. But it's falling on deaf ears of the president of the United States," he said during an appearance on Face the Nation. 

During the walk, Governor Moore spoke on the importance of crime prevention as well as his administration's efforts to increase funding to the Maryland coordination and analysis center, local law enforcement, and community action groups.

The governor previously invited Mr. Trump to participate in a public safety walk in Baltimore, suggesting in a letter that the two could  talk about "strategies for effective public safety policy." 

The president declined the invitation, telling Moore to "clean up this crime mess" before he visits Baltimore. 

"Stop talking and get to work, Wes," Mr. Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social. "I'll then see you on the streets!!!"