Over the past few years, Baltimore has seen a historic drop in gun violence, including a 23% decrease in homicides from 2023 to 2024. This is a milestone worth celebrating and one that requires attention to the factors that are truly improving safety and enhancing communities. The historic decline in gun violence represents the direct result of strategic community-based interventions that have finally gained the needed traction to transform Baltimore neighborhoods. The timing of this success makes federal funding cuts particularly devastating and creates an urgency for state and local leaders to act quickly to protect the strategies for improving public safety.
The question of what’s causing the decline in Baltimore homicides has sparked intense debate. Some officials were quick to claim credit for the drop by relying on a well-worn “tough-on-crime” narrative despite research and data that demonstrate the negative impact of incarceration and an overly punitive approach to public safety. Baltimore’s achievement shows that real, lasting safety comes from addressing violence at its source, not from adding years to prison sentences.
At the Office of the Public Defender, we see daily the harms caused by an overly punitive criminal legal system. Lengthy prison sentences exacerbate mental health conditions, destabilize families and ultimately cause individuals to return home poorly equipped to live a safe, healthy and productive lifestyle. The problem of over-policing Black and brown individuals and those living in poor communities creates a disproportionate impact. The research confirms our insights. The National Academy of Sciences previously concluded that lengthy prison sentences have little to no impact on crime reduction.
The evidence is undeniable. Our daily experiences as public defenders underscore the correct answer to the question of what is causing the decline in crime. After years of investing in violence interrupters, community outreach workers and neighborhood-based prevention initiatives, Baltimore is witnessing the fruits of this focused approach. These programs work because they address violence at its roots, engaging directly with the individuals and communities most affected by crime. Working in partnership with community organizations, OPD witnesses firsthand the incredible value of early interventions — efforts designed to prevent crime in the first instance, keeping people out of the courtroom and at home with their families. This includes programs like Roca, which works to disrupt violence by engaging young people, police and systems to heal trauma; Baltimore Community Mediation Center, which teaches and uses conflict resolution skills to provide a framework to have the necessary, difficult conversations and develop solutions; and We Our Us, which offers consistent and collective action to strategically assist boys and young men in obtaining resources which create productive pathways and move their goals forward. These programs focus on healing, not punishment, while addressing vital needs such as housing, access to mental health care, employment and restorative justice.
Despite their successes, these programs rarely make headlines, causing many to be unaware of their impact every day. The people behind these programs are the true heroes of Baltimore’s crime reduction story. They provide alternatives to conflict and build the social connections that naturally reduce violence. The challenge now is sustaining community programs amid dramatic federal funding cuts. City and state leaders must act quickly to identify programs that lost funding and determine how local and state resources will fill the gaps. OPD also encourages state officials to explore legal options to challenge federal cuts to violence intervention programs. Maryland’s Attorney General, Anthony Brown, has successfully pushed back against unconstitutional policies before. This same resolve is needed to protect the programs driving Baltimore’s progress.
Baltimore has shown us the evidence-based path forward. Enhanced penalties represent yesterday’s failed approaches to public safety. The historic drop in homicides undoubtedly results from a community-based holistic approach to reducing crime — one that addresses root causes rather than just symptoms. Today’s successes come from investing in communities, providing economic opportunities and addressing the root causes of violence. However, further progress is threatened if we fail to sustain these programs. As federal funding for these proven strategies faces cuts, doubling down on punishment-based rhetoric would be ineffective and a tremendous step backward from the very strategy that is finally making Baltimore safer. City and state leaders must act decisively to protect community intervention programs if we want to ensure that Baltimore continues to move forward. The answer is clear — community-centered solutions save lives.
Natasha Dartigue (Natasha.dartigue@maryland.gov) is public defender for Maryland.