Baltimore leaders discuss strategies to reduce youth crime during a town hall

Baltimore City State's Attorney Ivan Bates held a community meeting Tuesday night to discuss strategies for reducing juvenile crime.

This meeting came after two teenage boys -- ages 15 and 16 -- were shot and injured in Greektown earlier this week. 

Baltimore residents say they are fed up with the crime, and they want to know the city's plan.

"I want to know why the crime is going up among the youth," said Fannie Decatour, a Baltimore resident. "It hurts me very badly. We had it in my neighborhood two weeks ago, a 15-year-old, and it just hurts that our youth are dying every day on the street." 

Tuesday's community conversation on crime was the second hosted by Bates, who was joined by city leaders.

Residents asked questions about his crime plan and voiced concerns about the gun violence. 

Bates says his office has seen 130 special cases where juveniles committed an egregious offense, but the Department of Justice recommended detention for only 31 of them. 

What's the juvenile crime plan?

Bates says the problem starts with the system.

"We have to change the system so it works properly. One of the things we see with the decrease in crime is that the system is working properly for adults, so we need to make sure it works properly for young people," Bates said. 

Bates released a crime plan to show neighbors how he plans to tackle youth violence, focusing on accountability, fairness, collaboration with city departments, and updated technology. 

His plan also includes a new prosecution diversion program, which allows an individual facing certain charges to participate in a supervised program instead of facing prosecution. But he'll need a partnership with the Department of Juvenile Services to fully enact his plan.

Residents are hoping for a quick solution.

"I'm 82 years old and my people are dying like you know what," said Baltimore resident Nathaniel Thomas. "They're sick and tired of violence. They're scared to walk the streets, and something needs to be done."

Bates has been critical of the DOJ and its approach to juvenile crime. It's also been one of the main areas of scrutiny from state lawmakers in Annapolis.

Youth crime in Baltimore

Curbing violence among juveniles has been an ongoing task for Baltimore leaders. 

On Monday, May 19, 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 was 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 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 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 a Summer Youth Engagement Strategy. 

To help deter violence, the initiative establishes a curfew for young people in the city and creates specialized programs for them. 

Scott said that after implementing the program during the summer of 2024, 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 August 16.