Mayor's Plan Doesn't Comfort City Residents Living In Crime Stricken Areas
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The mayor's plans are already drawing stiff criticism for city residents living in neighborhoods plagued with violence.
Rochelle Ritchie spoke with many of them, who say more prosecutors is not the answer.
The mayor's plans are not being received well by people in west Baltimore. They are scared, they're angry and say they want to see more action from their city leaders.
Residents in West Baltimore are speaking loud and clear about the violence that is rapidly spreading across the city.
"You're getting innocent bystanders shot. I was shot a few years ago in my neck," said Lynn Shaw.
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and State's Attorney Gregg Bernstein's decision to add more prosecutors to the State's Attorney's Office in response to the crime is already drawing heavy criticism.
"State's attorneys. What the hell are they going to do inside an office?" one man asked.
Related Story: Baltimore City Will Hire 2 New Prosecutors To Reduce Violence
Wednesday, on Fulton Avenue and North Baltimore Street, a brother and sister were gunned down in broad daylight.
Those victims have been identified as 34-year-old Dwing Robinson Webbs and 40-year-old Natasha Elizabeth Bates.
Webbs was supposed to testify in a trial a month ago. It is unclear if his death was the result of witness intimidation.
Raw emotion from the fiance of Natasha Bates:
"She didn't do nothing to no one, and it's really sad," said Robert Harrison, victim's fiance.
People who live in the West Baltimore community say they are fed up with the violence and they say in order for it to stop, it's going to take the community speaking up.
But residents say if they do that, they need to know the state's attorney will better at protecting them.
"When someone comes up and says, 'Yeah, he shot at me or whatever,' what are you doing then to protect them? It's not working, you see? He's dead now," a woman said.
For those who have lost loved ones to the gunfire, they say it is up to the people to take back their neighborhoods.
"Call the police. If you have to call them 100 times, call them," said Harrison.
No arrests have been made in that double homicide.
The man who was murdered Wednesday was also shot a year ago--about a block away.
