From January until July 15, 2022, there were 191 juvenile cases, Bates said. At the same time, in 2023, there were 304 cases. In 2024, there have been 590 cases.
Deputy State’s Attorney Gregg Solomon, speaking to Fox45 News, expressed hope that the mayor and police are committed to issuing citations for quality-of-life crimes. Solomon stated, “We had a slow start with BPD, but since then, we’ve conducted numerous training sessions. We’ve observed an increase in citations, particularly in the Southeast District.”
Statistics do not lie. The Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office reports that charged offenders under the age of 18 in the first six months of the year climbed from 191 in 2022 to 590 in 2024, a jump of more than 300% in two years. Juveniles charged with automobile theft soared from 82 in 2022 to 212 this year. Youths accused of robbery spiked from 17 two years ago to 246 as of July 15, 2024.
Bates touted the sentence in a statement, applauding prosecutor Twila Driggins “for doing everything she can to achieve justice for Sgt. Ramberg, whose life is forever changed by the injuries he sustained as a direct result of this defendant’s violent and reckless actions.”
“The actions of this defendant are absolutely horrific and have undoubtedly caused immeasurable trauma for the victim and their family,” State’s Attorney Ivan Bates said in a news release. “I want to thank ASAs Robert Render and Keera Gilbert for their skillful prosecution of this case and Victim Witness Advocate Aida Alajbegovic for providing the critical support needed to guide the survivor through the difficult trial experience. Under my administration, our office will be guided by the needs of victims in Baltimore, their trauma, and how we can ensure justice and accountability for them.”
“I’m always concerned about the juvenile crime. Because that’s the one area where we really have done as well as we want to," Worley said in May.
"This community needs as much help and support as it can have," Bates said. "We love our children. We want to make sure they have the supplies they need for school."
"I try not to judge people by their worst acts but nobody in any community will be safe while you are free," Judge Robert Taylor told Billingsley.
“Now more than ever, residents have been touched by crime. It may not be a violent crime, but they’ve been robbed or had their car stolen, or their neighbor or someone else they know has,” Bates said in an email. “In many of these instances, the culprits were either juveniles or identified as juveniles, leaving the victims with little to no information and even less recourse.”
