Baltimore Mayor Scott to deliver 6th State of the City address

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott will deliver his sixth State of the City address on Tuesday evening. 

It comes as the city continues to see progress in reducing violent crime, takes steps to protect residents amid a federal immigration crackdown and faces a call for greater oversight from the local inspector general. 

The address also comes as city leaders prepare to consider the 2027 budget proposal, which will be presented to the Board of Estimates on April 22.

Stream the full State of the City address live at 6 p.m. on CBS News Baltimore.

Crime in Baltimore 

Baltimore has experienced a dramatic downturn in violent crime over the past five years, including major declines in homicides and non-fatal shootings, data from the mayor's office shows. 

In 2025, the homicide rate reached a 50-year low in the city, declining by 30% compared to 2024. Non-fatal shootings declined by nearly 20%, data shows. 

The mayor has credited some of the city's success in crime reduction to the Group Violence Reduction Strategy (GVRS), a partnership between the police department, mayor's office, state's attorney and attorney general that focuses on violent crime networks. 

In 2025, GVRS was connected to 600 arrests, the mayor's office said. 

The city has also taken proactive steps to address gun violence. Last year, the city sued gun manufacturer Glock, claiming that the company contributed to the gun violence crisis. 

Federal immigration impacts 

In the past year, amid a federal crackdown on illegal immigration, Baltimore has taken several steps to protect the rights and safety of migrants and all residents. 

In early March, the mayor signed an executive order amid concerns about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations across the state and a potential new detention center in Washington County. 

"The recent deployment of federal enforcement agents to cities across the United States — which has led to violent and deadly confrontations between civilians and law enforcement — has created chaos and fear within communities, while raising serious concerns regarding civil rights violations," the mayor said in a statement. 

The Protecting the Rights and Well-Being of Baltimore City Residents order clarifies existing city policies related to immigration and outlines other steps being taken to protect residents. 

Also in March, the city council unanimously passed a bill that prevents police from working with ICE and prevents ICE from conducting operations in city buildings. 

The legislation was similar to measures that were passed in surrounding counties.

Inspector General oversight 

The mayor's address on Tuesday also comes as Baltimore's inspector general continues to call for oversight after a disagreement over access to essential documents and sensitive data. 

In a report filed in mid-March, the inspector general's office detailed thousands of dollars in overbilling and the improper release of confidential juvenile records. The report claimed that several contractors created fake invoices and fraudulently billed the city while working with a now-closed youth program. 

The program, SideStep, operated under the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE). 

The mayor previously defended the program and pushed back against the allegation that his office was not providing access to documents. 

"In this case, MONSE and the city would be the victims here. This is not about wrongdoing from them," the mayor said. 

The report also claimed that a city employee improperly sent confidential information to a relative of about 700 juveniles in violation of state law. 

The mayor said the employee no longer works for the city. 

The inspector general has referred her findings to law enforcement, and the mayor said an audit of the SideStep program is underway. 

"If this is true, then we will hold these people accountable to the highest extent of the law," Mayor Scott said.