Baltimore crime drop continues, with homicides down 23% from last year

Chevall Pryce, Baltimore Sun on Jun 1, 2026

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Baltimore’s decline in violent crime continued through May, with homicides down more than 23% compared with the same point last year as city leaders pointed to a combination of focused policing, violence interruption programs and community partnerships.

As of June 1, Baltimore recorded 40 homicides and 120 nonfatal shootings in 2026, compared with 52 homicides and 121 nonfatal shootings during the same period in 2025.

The reductions extend a yearslong downward trend in lethal violence that city officials say has produced some of Baltimore’s lowest homicide totals in decades.

“We still see too many people turning to guns to solve conflicts, and one life lost to violence in our city is one too many,” Mayor Brandon Scott said. “In the months and years to come, we will continue to invest in these strategies, strengthen our partnerships, and maintain our focus on saving lives.”

Drawing attention to GVRS success

Scott gave partial credit for the decline to Baltimore’s Safe Streets program, a community-run organization that uses mediation instead of incarceration to help reduce gun violence.

A new study from Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Gun Violence Solutions found the city’s violence interruption program was associated with a 42% reduction in homicides among Baltimore residents ages 15 to 24 between 2007 and 2023. Researchers also found a 21% reduction in nonfatal shootings among young people during the same period.

One of the success stories stems from Penn North, a neighborhood notorious for drug use and violence. The area has gone now more than a year without a homicide.

Scott said the major milestone was not a cause for celebration, but a reason to keep pushing against the stereotypes that Penn North, and Baltimore, face.

“This work has helped produce historic reductions in shootings and homicide in Baltimore’s most disinvested in communities,” Scott said.”

Gov. Wes Moore commended Baltimore for drop in homicides, referring to his previous $50 million funding for Baltimore as a helping factor.

“Alongside Mayor Brandon Scott and State’s Attorney Ivan Bates we have been able to deliver record drops in violent crime in Baltimore, but the job’s not done,” Moore said. “Across the entire state we have seen a 44% drop in homicides and a 40% drop in non-fatal shootings because of our all-of-the-above approach to public safety.”

As for other crimes, carjackings are down 45%, burglaries are down 16%, car theft is down 6% and robberies are down 14% compared to 2025 year-to-date according to the city.

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