BALTIMORE (WBFF) — Concerns about crime and safety are taking center stage as Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Dan Cox brings his campaign directly to Baltimore neighborhoods.Cox walked through the city, stopping at two locations that have recently experienced criminal activity. One stop was a 7-Eleven where a 74-year-old man was attacked by a group of six people, including one person holding a sword. Six weeks after the attack, police have not made any arrests.Cox is using his visit to highlight what he says are failures by Gov. Wes Moore to address Baltimore’s ongoing challenges. “Baltimore City was left behind – and Wes Moore, where is he?” Cox said.ALSO READ | Gov. Wes Moore, Dan Cox to face off in Gubernatorial DebateSpeaking about crime trends, Cox said, “Crime is being allowed to go free. People are being allowed go free; we have Wes Moore signing into law the youth reform and charging reform act which is going to turn people back on the street when the community doesn’t want that they want people held accountable when you do violent crime.”Local business owners say they are feeling the ongoing impact of crime. Terence Dickson, owner of Terra Cafe in Old Goucher, said, “Crime is not down in Baltimore, bro, it’s not. Okay, there’s no reflection of it or anything else.”Sharing his frustration after his business was vandalized twice in three years, Dickson added, “I’ve been, you’ve been out here a few times in reference to our youth. Breaking the windows, trying to get into businesses and I’m not the only one. I mean, there are businesses all over the city, but it seems as though they really like us.”ALSO READ | Poll shows Maryland Gov. Wes Moore approval rating rises to 56%Cox said he is listening to those concerns and wants more support from Annapolis for Baltimore. He said, “I would sit down with Ivan Bates, the state’s attorney and say, what are the tools you need? And I would sit down with the Baltimore police, saying, what are the tools that you need to make sure that we hold the criminals accountable?”Cox also said his vision for Baltimore would go beyond just increasing law enforcement. He called for more after-school and recreational programs for young people as well as lowering taxes and working to bring businesses back to the city.WBFF continues to follow how campaign proposals could affect Baltimore’s future as the governor’s race unfolds.
