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Baltimore Posts Lowest Homicides in Over 50 Years While Some Districts See No Decline

City leaders credit a coordinated public safety strategy for record crime reductions coupled with plans to strengthen community policing to reach lagging neighborhoods

Overview

  • In the first half of 2025, homicides dropped 22.7% and nonfatal shootings fell 19.6% compared with the same period in 2024.
  • There were 68 homicides through June, marking the fewest recorded in Baltimore since the early 1970s.
  • Three of nine police districts showed flat or rising homicide numbers, including an increase in the Southwest district.
  • Homicide clearance rates rose to 64% and nonfatal shooting clearances to 44%, both about 20% above the city’s ten-year average.
  • Recent police-involved fatalities have underscored trust challenges and prompted calls for deeper community engagement and targeted interventions.