Maryland State Police will be sent into the city of Baltimore as a means of combating violent crime.
The decision comes after President Donald Trump repeatedly threatened to send the National Guard to the city.
Baltimore is currently experiencing record low crime rates and is on track to have the lowest homicide rate in half a century.
“We do not need people putting in performative and theatrical resources, if you want to learn what works, come down. Come learn,” Gov. Wes Moore said Friday. “We are going to use an all of the above approach. You are never going to militarize your way into safe streets.”
The decision is brewing some controversy as some wonder if the Moore administration is implementing the same solution as Trump.
Multiple studies over decades of research show that heavier policing does not correlate to lower crime rates. Instead, investing in healthcare, education and other programs that help with social determinants better communities.
“This announcement is about using government resources in a targeted, evidence-based way, in order to make our neighborhoods safer,” Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said. “We are grateful that Gov. Moore has chosen to reinstate this partnership after it was eliminated by the previous administration. This is the kind of support we need for our violence intervention work, which has brought crime to record lows across the board. It takes all of us—state, city, and federal law enforcement, including the ATF, FBI, and DEA, community violence interrupters, and residents—to build on this progress and create the safer, healthier Baltimore we know is possible.”
Baltimoreans can expect more state police on the streets in “high-risk areas,” according to a press release from Moore’s office.
“The efforts will focus on providing a highly visible law enforcement presence to deter and prevent crime, with focus on targeting firearm and narcotics offenses and expanding the investigative capacity,” the release states. “State law enforcement will also promote flexibility for the Baltimore Police Department to more easily move resources around the city as needed, allowing local authorities to focus on the priority operations that they conduct best.”
There is no timeline yet for when the police surge will start.
