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Police Announce New Decoy Unit To Help Stop Random Teen Attacks

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Following a recent string of attacks on people by packs of teens in Baltimore, police and residents came together to tackle the problem.

WJZ was the first to tell you about a number of attacks on unsuspecting people being carried out by groups of teens.

Now police and the community are saying enough is enough.

Fired up residents from south Baltimore walked the streets alongside police to not only show they're keeping a watchful eye out, but to prove they will not stand for the crime that's been infiltrating their neighborhoods.

The Baltimore Police Department announced a new initiative to put a stop to the recent, brutal attacks at the hands of out of control teenagers.

Adults, and even other children are being attacked mercilessly.

"I'm pissed, because I just don't understand," said

Attacks by teens have been reported in north Baltimore, downtown, and in south Baltimore, around Federal Hill.

"When we have juveniles walking around the city with a wooden baseball bat or a 2x4, and hitting an innocent woman, that's a problem," said

On Monday night, residents, police, and city leaders discussed and literally moved forward, revealing the plan to put an end to a crime spree that's including several robberies.

All of it taking place during a public safety walk that drew in hundreds of concerned citizens.

During this walk, Commissioner Kevin Davis announced the department is launching a special police decoy unit to address the growing juvenile crime threat in this portion of the city.

"I'm convinced that these juvenile offenders travel in packs," Davis said. "I'm convinced that they look for people that look vulnerable to them, and then I'm also convinced they approach them because they think they can get away with it."

The public is hopeful that will no longer be the case.

"We are angry, and we don't want to have this happen," said

Police also dropped this staggering figure: The last 10 juveniles arrested have a combined 63 arrests between them.

"There was an audible gasp when he said that number, right? I mean everyone was really shocked at that," said

The commissioner is calling for more accountability at home, school, and in the courtroom.

"We cannot look at juveniles committing violent crimes as mischievous behavior," he said. "It's not mischievous behavior, it's a violent crime and people are getting hurt."

Police say they have made some arrests in these crimes, and that they've closed four of the seven cases in this region.

The public safety walk is something the Riverside community does monthly, and they say it has proven successful in the past.

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