Homicides in the city and violent crimes involving young people are at decade lows, and the drop in gun violence is considerable. As of this past week, fewer than 100 people have been killed in the city. As of this past week, 84 people were killed in the city. That's a noticeable decline from 2024, when the city reported 115 homicides.
The Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office doesn't just focus on prosecuting violent crime. The office is committed to protecting older adults in the city. Baltimore City State's Attorney Ivan Bates explains how.
“I think unfortunately, the way the criminal justice system really works, we looked at the numbers and I’m looking at the numbers, we realized over a three-year period that GVRS, they’ve served 201 people,” Bates said, meaning 201 people have been provided services. “I can tell you 200 people is not enough to make that substantial change.”
Automatic charging of young people as adults, regardless of offense, has been an issue several Democratic lawmakers have pushed for without success in Annapolis. In 2022, Sen. Jill Carter, D-Baltimore City, introduced a law to criminal cases involving young people in the juvenile system, with the option of ‘waiving up’ to the adult system, or essentially petitioning the court to move the case to an adult system.
Under Bates’ leadership, his office has increased its attorney staff from 141 to 185 and received $2 million in state funding to improve body-camera footage review. The results show in the numbers: between 2023 and 2024, out of 2,443 felony gun cases, 1,723 resulted in jail time, compared to just 781 cases between 2021 and 2022.
Residents who attend will be able to ask questions, connect their children with summer programs and get information on the different services offered by city agencies.
The jury found King guilty of attempted first-degree murder, firearm use in a felony or violent crime, use of an assault weapon with a magazine, firearm possession with a felony conviction, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree assault.
A Waverly man who killed a longtime Johns Hopkins University professor 30 years ago was just sentenced to 20 years for robbing the Ace Hardware store where he once worked.
