BALTIMORE (WBFF) — Two straight weekends of juvenile-related violence and disorder in Baltimore’s popular waterfront neighborhoods have residents questioning whether the city is doing enough to keep people safe, even as Mayor Brandon Scott pointed to crime reductions and defended his approach during a Tuesday address on the state of Baltimore City.
At the Inner Harbor, longtime residents said they recently witnessed back-to-back “juvenile takeovers.” This past Sunday, seven juveniles were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, assault and attempted unarmed robbery.
“We should not have children’s crime to terrorize us,” one resident said. “We should not have to run away from crime.”
ALSO READ | Police expert stresses parental accountability amid juvenile arrests
The Sunday before, police said a fight between two groups of juveniles led to shots being fired, sending people running and “docking for curfew.”
In Fells Point, residents also raised concerns after a pair of recent fights spilled into the street.
“That’s not good to see. I don’t like seeing that in my neighborhood,” one resident said.
Another added, “It happens every time, every year.”
A third resident said, “It gets a little out of hand and the city waits too long to react to it.”
The neighborhood has a long history of fights, assaults, shootings and homicides.
Across the water in Federal Hill, shots rang out on a quiet street Saturday night just across from Thomas Johnson Elementary/Middle School. A 20-year-old was grazed, and no arrests have been made.
“I was definitely scared like I could have been walking to my apartment at that time,” one resident said. “I mean if they’re still walking around here and this was targeted, it obviously makes me worry that it could happen again.”
ALSO READ | Safety concerns mount in Federal Hill after recent shootings
The ongoing violence has even led the neighborhood’s public safety chair to reconsider living in the city.
“I’ve got my house on the market right now,” Jen Covino, public safety chair of the Federal Hill Neighborhood Association, said.
She called it a decision that had been building for some time, adding, “I think, unfortunately, I’m starting to feel helpless, and I realize there’s something that I can do beyond going to the polls to vote, and that’s to put my property on the market because of the city’s failures to keep my community safe.”
During his Tuesday remarks, Scott said his programs and administration are working and that “No National Guard or zero tolerance needed.”
But some residents said the city needs outside help.
“They terrify our tourists and our locals and nobody’s doing nothing about it,” one person said. “We want the tourists, we want the locals to come and enjoy yourself. To eat, to drink, to be merry. That’s what the Inner Harbor was made for.”
Another added, “If I was the mayor, I would have the National Guard here this summer.”
Watch Mayor Scott’s full State of the City Address below:
Local Story
