Debate Over How To Handle Baltimore Crime Continues
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Gov. Larry Hogan has been critical of Baltimore leaders regarding crime in the city.
While attending a vaccination event in Dundalk on Tuesday, the governor said "The city needs to do a better job of focusing on crime. It seems to be the last thing that they're focusing on right now, and they need to come up with a real plan."
Hogan reiterated his position on the issue on Wednesday while attending another vaccination event in Harford County.
"I think almost everyone believes that violent crime in Baltimore City is a terrible problem, and that people need to step up and get to work," he said.
Hogan said Baltimore lawmakers have repeatedly rejected legislation that would've been tough on crime. He also criticized prosecutors. Within hours after the initial comments, Mayor Brandon Scott responded on Twitter.
"These partisan talking points to gain credibility with some folks is fine for him to do and his opinion," Scott said in an interview. "But for me, I know what I was doing over the weekend. I know where I was. I know that I was out in West Baltimore walking in one of the neighborhoods where we've been hardest hit by violence. And for me these folks who've lost their lives in Baltimore, they're not numbers, [they] are actually people to me."
There's been an increase in murders in Baltimore. There were 96 homicides at this time in 2020, compared to 108 so far this year, according to statistics from Baltimore police.
One of the latest victims was Efraim Gordon. He was visiting from Israel for his cousin's wedding. There's now a $30,000 reward in that case.
There have also been violent attacks, including a case where two Asian women were beaten with a brick in West Baltimore. That attack was captured on a surveillance camera.
While the city continues to struggle with crime, people who live and work in Baltimore say they want the leaders to collaborate to find solutions to the problems.
"It's about having cooperation between state and local government, there's no Band-Aid. You can't just wave a magic wand. It's a really really hard job and quite frankly, it comes down to this, if you don't want the job, don't run for the office," says Marc Janicki, who lives in Baltimore.
Said Jasmine Johnson: "I think they do need to be adults and come together, sit down and have a conversation because they are both looking out for the City, so something needs to be done."
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