Safe Streets, other programs help some Baltimore communities drastically cut crime
Community leaders credit a decade of partnerships to declining violent crime statistics in Baltimore City.
Catholic Charities and Safe Streets Baltimore are celebrating a 10-year relationship, working to prevent violence in Baltimore neighborhoods.
"We're trying to take all hoods back to neighborhoods, back to communities where people feel safe living," said Greg Marshburn, the Safe Streets at Catholic Charities Program Director.
In 2025, Baltimore had the fewest number of homicides in about 50 years. As of Wednesday morning, Baltimore has 24 homicides in 2026, compared to 29 at this point in 2025.
Violence prevention working in Sandtown-Winchester community
Community leaders said their work, along with the work of many other groups and city agencies have helped with the declining trend of violence across the city.
It's the passion and dedication from Sandtown Safe Streets team members who are born and raised in the community who are bringing necessary resources closer to home.
"I'm always at work," said Nicole Warren, the Sandtown Safe Streets Site Director.
"Being hands-on with the people, letting them see that you're just not working here, you live here also," said William Stewart, the Sandtown Safe Streets Violence Prevention Coordinator.
Sandtown Safe Streets mediated 91 potentially violent conflicts in 2025, according to Baltimore's Mayor's Office of Neighborhood and Safety Engagement (MONSE).
Warren said the presence of Safe Streets is changing her neighborhood's dynamic.
"If we keep providing the resources, if we keep showing up, they can go even lower," Warren said.
The work Safe Streets provides
Marshburn said some of the necessary resources Safe Streets provides help with are food and housing.
"The main things that you need to be onboarded to a job," Marshburn said.
Safe Streets work is also helping to decrease violence in Baltimore neighborhoods.
"Specifically for the Sandtown community, we're seeing reductions," said Arnetta Shelton, the MONSE Community Violence Intervention Chief. "We're seeing people connected to more resources."
"We used to go out there and force it on them," Marshburn said. "We don't have to do that now. Someone is always ringing the bell. Somebody is always coming around here."
Safe Streets builds on momentum
Safe Streets gives thanks to its neighbors for trusting it and keeping violence down. Community leaders say that the work doesn't end here.
Shelton said the focus now is on advancing the work already in motion.
"Right now, we're in the phase of analyzing, what does it look like and where do we need to go next?" Shelton said. "A part of that analysis is the data."
"Having the resources here on site," Stewart said. "We're going to have it right here in this community, right here at this site, hopefully."
