Maybe it’s his relatability or his common-sense approach but whatever the reason, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott announced recently that the city has had the fewest number of homicides in 50 years.
So far in 2025, Baltimore has had 68 recorded homicides. For comparison, in 2024, the city had 88 homicides.
“Scott said historic reductions in violent crime have led to a 22.7% decrease in homicides and a 19.6% decline in non-fatal shootings,” Fox 5 Baltimore reports.
But it’s not just murders that are down in the city, “compared to 2024, auto thefts are down 34%, robberies are down 22%, arson is down 10%, and carjackings are down 15%.”
“Our continued progress is the direct result of the comprehensive, evidence-based public safety strategy that we have implemented in partnership with residents,” said Mayor Scott, via a press release.
“I want to acknowledge the leadership of our community violence intervention ecosystem, MONSE, the men and women of BPD, our regional law enforcement agencies, and our partners in the State Attorney’s Office, U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the Office of the Attorney General. But our work is far from over. 68 lives lost to violence is 68 too many. While we acknowledge the historic lows we are experiencing, we must simultaneously acknowledge that there is much more work to do and our success makes me commit even further to doing it.”
Mayors across the nation could learn a thing or two from Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott.