Baltimore homicides fall 23% in first half of 2026 as decline continues

Maggie Trovato, Baltimore Sun on Jul 1, 2026

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BALTIMORE — Baltimore’s homicide decline continued through the first half of 2026, with killings falling another 23% from the same period last year, according to data from the Baltimore Police Department.

The department reported Wednesday that the city recorded 50 homicides between Jan. 1 and July 1, down from 65 during the same period in 2025. The decline follows a landmark year in which Baltimore finished with its lowest annual homicide total in at least 50 years, continuing a reversal from the city’s peak of 348 homicides in 2019. Federal Bureau of Investigation data also show violent crime has declined nationally in recent years, though Baltimore’s reduction has outpaced many large U.S. cities.

“Every case we solve brings justice to victims and their families and makes our neighborhoods safer,” Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said in a statement. “Our progress in the first half of 2026, is a true testament to the commitment of our members and the strong partnerships we have with the communities we serve.”

The latest figures add to a broader decline in violent crime. According to police statistics through late June, rapes and robberies each fell 13% from the same period last year, while burglaries dropped 16%. Nonfatal shootings declined slightly, falling to 156 from 160 a year earlier.

Not every crime category moved in the same direction. Aggravated assaults increased 10%, larcenies rose 5%, auto thefts edged up 1% and arsons increased 2%, according to department data.

‘Our work is not done’

Mayor Brandon Scott said in a separate statement that the city is making progress with public safety “that many thought was impossible.”

“By working with BPD, MONSE, prosecutors, our community violence intervention ecosystem, and most importantly, our residents, we have invested in strategies that are getting at every aspect of violence in our communities,” Scott said. “We know that our work is not done; one life lost to violence in our city is one too many. But after decades of losing hundreds of friends, family members, and loved ones to gun violence every year, we are finally seeing sustained reductions in shootings and homicides and building the safer, healthier neighborhoods our residents deserve.”

Recent studies have linked drops in the number of homicides to the city’s violence reduction efforts. In May, a study from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Gun Violence Solutions found that Safe Streets, the city’s violence interruption program, was associated with a 42% reduction in homicides and a 21% reduction in nonfatal shootings among Baltimore residents ages 15 to 24 between 2007 and 2023.

Breaking down the data

The department said its robbery clearance rate is at 48%, compared with the 27.6% national average. It said that its aggravated assault clearance rate is at 73%, compared with the 46% national average.

“These strong clearance rates are driven in large part by the exceptional work of the Criminal Investigation Division, coupled with community support and partnerships,” Worley said in his statement.

Department officials said they’ve also seen improvements in recruitment and retention. Police officer applications are up 6% and first-year attrition has declined almost 50%.

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