Baltimore City homicides and non-fatal shootings down compared to 2024, mid-year report says

CBS News

12 hours ago

Baltimore City saw a 22% decrease in homicides, and a 19% decrease in non-fatal shootings since 2024, according to the Baltimore Police Department's mid-year crime report.
The updates come as positive news for city leaders who have been working to curb crime.
Baltimore sees continued crime reduction
Baltimore's homicides decreased from 88 in 2024 to 68 in 2025, according to the report. Non-fatal shootings decreased from 204 in 2024 to 164 in 2025.
Baltimore City had a 23% reduction in homicides, and a 34% decrease in non-fatal shootings between 2023 and 2024.
Tackling youth violence has been an ongoing goal of Mayor Brandon Scott, and data is showing positive progress.
Teen victims of homicides dropped by 71%, from seven homicides in 2024 to two in 2025.
In April, Mayor Scott sat down with WJZ to discuss the city's downward crime trends.
He said the city's Comprehensive Violence Prevention Plan, which aims to prevent violence with a public health approach, played a major role in reducing crime.
Mr. Scott has also praised Baltimore City's Group Violence Reduction Strategy (GVRS) for helping curb youth violence.
The GVRS program aims to provide guidance and engagement to individuals who are at risk of becoming perpetrators or victims of gun violence.
BPD said it also seized more than 1,300 firearms and 150 ghost guns, with an average of seven gun seizures each day.
"Our continued progress is the direct result of the comprehensive, evidence-based public safety strategy that we have implemented in partnership with residents," Mayor Brandon M. Scott said. "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."
The city's homicide clearance rate, or the percentage of homicides that are solved by law enforcement, has reached 64%. The non-fatal shooting clearance rate is 44%, which is more than 20% higher than BPD's 10-year average, the department said.
Other progress for the Baltimore Police Department
BPD said it created a new unit, the Missing and Exploited Persons Unit (MEPU), which has assisted in increased enforcement efforts on human trafficking, internet crimes against children, and missing persons cases.
The unit has made 24 arrests this year, compared to seven this time last year.
BPD also said it has become compliant with two sections of its Federal Consent Decree – Transport, and Health and Wellness.
The department also said it has begun the sustainment period for three other areas – Community Oversight Taskforce, First Amendment Protected Activity, and School Police.