Baltimore Sees Lowest Homicide Count Since 1978

BALTIMORE (AP) -- Baltimore police say the city recorded 196 homicides in 2011.

That's the lowest number of slayings in the city has seen since the city had 197 homicides in 1978.

The number is far lower than the homicide count peak of 353 slayings in 1993. It's a significant drop, but the homicide rate is in the same range the city saw in the late 1980s, when the city had another 130,000 residents.

City leaders credit a sustained focus on repeat violent offenders and increased community engagement for the continued drop that reflects a nationwide decline.

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