Three of Baltimore City’s Safe Streets violence interruption zones celebrated more than 365 days without a homicide on Friday afternoon.

Safe Streets did not experience any homicides in the areas they serve around Park Heights, Franklin Square, and Belvedere.

Standing outside of the Safe Streets site office in Park Heights, Mayor Brandon Scott reminded the audience that the milestone was a personal one for him.

“I remember a time when we felt like we didn't go two days without someone getting shot,” said the mayor, who grew up in the neighborhood.

Safe Streets is a program that relies on unarmed community members to mediate conflicts without using violence in designated areas, also called “catchment zones” where gun violence and homicide has been historically high. The zones do not necessarily include entire neighborhoods nor do they strictly follow neighborhood boundary lines.

“Safe Streets is not an office job, it's a community job, and they're going to be in the community, building relationships, talking with the people in order to prevent violence, not sitting behind a desk, pushing papers,” Scott said.

From June 2023 to June 2024, the three sites had zero homicides. But after making it just over a year, on July 3, 2024, Franklin Square had a homicide when a 29 year-old man died on Argyle Avenue. The area has not had any since then. The Belvedere and Park Heights sites continue the streak .

Between the three sites, there were seven non-fatal shootings in the 365 days.

City leaders praised Safe Streets for their role in the historic city wide homicide drop.

It’s difficult work, explained Emanuel Tarrantbey, Site Director for Safe Streets Belvedere who also does violence interruption work himself.

He recalled a situation not too long ago where he mediated a conflict between two men who he has known personally for years. As the second man walked up, Tarrantbey immediately noticed body-language in his acquaintance that set off alarm bells.

“His speech changed, and he wasn't free with his words [which] already put me on the point that there's an issue between the two,” recalled Tarrantbey, who said he was able to de-escalate the situation and, days later, checked up on the pair to make sure things were staying calm.

“Personal relationships, trust, love, hope, like, there's no it's no secret sauce. It's just relationships,” said Tarrantbey. “And using the same component you would use what you would use with your family.”

The three sites join the Safe Streets site at Penn North, which earlier this year also hit 365 days homicide free. Approximately ten sites cover around three miles across the city.