WASHINGTON — Along I-95 it is a tale of two cities when it comes to gun violence. Two police departments watching violent crime in different directions.
In D.C., the mayor and council scramble to deal with, what feels like. a never-ending crime wave.
“We spent three years with disruptions to our ecosystem, and its really out of whack,” DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said at recent crime prevention summit.
Just 40 miles north in Baltimore City, it’s mayor signaled a turn in gun violence. The city looks like it will finish the year with fewer than 300 homicides. A milestone that has constantly dogged the city for a decade.
“These reductions are all of ours to tout and we should be proud of them, but know we have more work to do,” Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said this week.
We pulled the numbers to get a look at two cities headed in opposite directions. According to our sister station WJZ-TV, Baltimore city has seen 261 homicides so far this year. A significant drop off from the 323 the city had this time last year.
For several months now D.C. has outpaced Baltimore in homicide numbers. D.C. not only has seen more homicides than Charm City, it also has far outpaced last year’s rate of killing.
At the time this article was written DC Police had investigated 271 homicides so far this year, according to the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD.) This time last year the city was at 199.
But it’s not just homicides. WJZ reports so far this year Baltimore has about 55 fewer non-fatal shootings. From 680 in 2022 to 625 this year.
At the same time, according to MPD, D.C. has at least 40 more than in 2023. From around 690 at this point in 2022 to 731 to date this year.
It is important to note D.C. has about 200,000 more residents than Baltimore. However, according to our research, in the past 20 years Baltimore has consistently investigated more homicides; at times significantly more.
In Baltimore city there’s optimism the city has turned a corner in violence. Officials point to violence prevention work and arrest rates. All things that, at first glance, D.C. is doing as well.
While Baltimore’s leaders ‘tout’ the significant reduction in gun violence. D.C.’s leadership continues to look for answers.
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