BALTIMORE, MD—Violent crime in Maryland continued to decrease in 2024, with homicides and non-fatal shootings down statewide, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland. Baltimore City saw its lowest homicide total since 2011, marking the third consecutive year of decreasing violent crime.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office attributes the positive trend to strategic collaboration among federal, state, and city law enforcement agencies, as well as community partners. Statewide homicides have decreased by 32% since 2021, while Baltimore City has seen a 41% drop in homicides during the same period. Baltimore City recorded 201 homicides in 2024, the lowest number since 2011.

“I’m very proud of the leadership that this office’s public servants have shown in coordinating law enforcement and community efforts throughout Maryland and beyond to protect our nation and promote safer communities,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron. “We will continue to be a force-multiplier for the work of our various federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, and community-based partners.”

These efforts are connected to the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement and communities to reduce violent crime and gun violence.

In Baltimore City, the multi-jurisdictional collaborative has assembled the largest-ever, state-funded team of special federal prosecutors, legal, and investigative professionals to indict firearm offenses. This initiative enabled the U.S. Attorney’s Office to adopt a record number of gun cases from the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office in 2023.

These collaborative efforts have contributed to a reduction in costly and unnecessary incarceration. The strategic approach to law enforcement, combined with various prevention and intervention methods, has resulted in a 40% decline in the federal pre-trial detention rate since 2018.

This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.

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