BALTIMORE – Local leaders in Baltimore tout reductions in crime, claiming the city is safer than it has been in years. However, the experiences of residents tell a different story. Many feel unsafe and believe that crime is not being addressed as effectively as the leadership suggests. In a recent survey conducted by Fox News Digital, over a dozen Baltimore residents voiced their anxieties about safety in their neighborhoods.
Tasha, a young mother navigating the streets of Penn-North with her baby stroller, expressed grave concerns about her safety. “There are so many things and so much going on in Baltimore,” she said. Her sentiments were echoed by many. Tasha further emphasized the need for solutions, asking, “How can you all prevent people from doing the things that they’re doing? What can y’all offer people?” When asked if she felt safe, her response was pointed: “No, I don’t.”
The evidence supporting resident apprehension is troubling. Just weeks ago, over two dozen individuals were hospitalized due to a mass drug overdose in Penn-North. The area has become a hub for drug dealing and usage, with a police car stationed nearby yet unable to deter the ongoing activity. “Everything is back out here running like it didn’t even happen a month ago,” Tasha noted, highlighting the ongoing nature of the problem.
While city officials, including Mayor Brandon Scott and Governor Wes Moore, assert that Baltimore is enjoying its lowest homicide rate in half a century, statistics tell a different story. They report 91 homicides in 2025, claiming a nearly 30% decrease. However, even with these reductions, Baltimore’s murder rate remains 6.8 times the national average, raising serious concerns about violence in the community.
Mayor Scott has publicly rebuffed federal intervention, including President Trump’s proposal to deploy National Guard troops to Baltimore. “We’re good; we don’t need or want the National Guard here in Baltimore,” he stated. Yet this opposition comes alongside the city’s decision to allocate Maryland law enforcement resources to assist in public safety efforts.
Residents like Joseph feel overwhelmed by rising crime rates. “Every time they say the crime’s going low, it’s not going low,” he lamented. His neighborhood is plagued with drug dealers and homelessness, leading to a pervasive sense of fear. Joseph described the struggles he witnesses daily, sharing his attempts to aid a homeless woman on his stoop. “She might have AIDS. I don’t even know,” he said, underscoring the grim reality many face in their communities.
Another resident, George, living in Bolton Hill, has also witnessed an uptick in street-related incidents. He described vandalism impacting local businesses, including an ice cream shop that has suffered multiple break-ins. “It’s just street crime,” he commented, highlighting the chaos that seems to rise unchecked as police resources dwindle. George pointed to the lack of enforcement regarding noise violations near bars, a situation that contributes to the breakdown of safety in his area.
Anthony, who once lived in Baltimore and now resides in western Maryland, left the city after encountering escalating crime firsthand. He recounted a harrowing experience of being caught in a carjacking and expressed disbelief at the changes he witnessed. “What the heck am I doing here?” he questioned, illustrating the frustration that has pushed some residents away.
Despite the overwhelming concerns of many, a few residents, like Anette Lang, defended the mayor’s leadership, claiming Scott is doing a “great job.” However, such sentiments are in the minority among those Fox News Digital interviewed. Daren Muhammed, a local radio host, thoroughly rejected the optimistic narrative surrounding crime statistics, alleging, “They’re fudging the numbers.”
The disparity between governmental claims and the lived experiences of residents in Baltimore paints a complex picture of a city grappling with crime. The voices of those on the ground reveal a community that is still in crisis, questioning the effectiveness of leadership and the veracity of official crime metrics.
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