Homicides and nonfatal shootings in Baltimore have decreased by approximately 60 percent over a five-year period, according to a report by Mayor Brandon M. Scott (D) and criminologist Anthony A. Braga. The city recorded 133 homicides in 2025, marking the lowest annual total in nearly 50 years. This follows a steady decline in the homicide rate that began in September 2022.
Historically, Baltimore utilized a "zero-tolerance" policing model that resulted in as many as 100,000 annual arrests in a city of 600,000 residents. The current administration transitioned away from this broad enforcement approach in 2022, identifying that fewer than 2 percent of residents were connected to groups responsible for up to 75 percent of serious violent acts. This data led to the implementation of the Group Violence Reduction Strategy (GVRS).
The GVRS combines community outreach with focused law enforcement. Community leaders offer individuals involved in violence access to life coaching, job training, housing, and relocation services. Those who decline support and continue to engage in violence face targeted prosecution. In the Western District, where the program launched first, homicides and shootings decreased by about one-third during the initial 18 months without an increase in low-level arrests.
The scale of the social support infrastructure is evidenced by the "hundreds of people" who have accepted services like job training and housing assistance. For these individuals, the program provides a concrete alternative to incarceration, with 94 percent of participants reportedly avoiding further victimization after joining. The strategy requires ongoing coordination between police, prosecutors, and outreach workers who meet weekly to review incidents and emerging risks. This inter-agency management represents a departure from past efforts that the city identifies as having failed due to poor implementation rather than strategy.
The knock-on effects include a reported increase in neighborhood safety and new business activity on revitalized blocks, according to the 2025 Baltimore Area Survey. By prioritizing focused enforcement over broad sweeps, the city aims to reduce the harm caused to non-white communities by previous policing tactics while maintaining accountability for violent acts. What happens next depends on the continued execution of the city’s five-year comprehensive violence prevention plan. The administration plans to continue expanding the GVRS to additional districts only when the necessary infrastructure and personnel are prepared, prioritizing long-term management over rapid expansion.