Baltimore Selected For Federal Violent Crime Reduction Program

BALTIMORE — Baltimore City has been selected to be part of the National Public Safety Partnership initiative that is offered in some of the nation's most violent areas. It provides federal support for law enforcement and prosecutors as they take on violent criminals, particularly those involved in gun crimes, drug trafficking and gang violence, according to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland.

"These resources help police departments to diagnose where crime is highest — and why — and to find, arrest and prosecute criminals," Attorney General William P. Barr said in a statement on Monday, June 3.

To be selected for participation in the program, an area "must have sustained levels of violence that far exceed the national average and demonstrate a commitment to reducing crime" and "cities must also display compliance with federal immigration requirements," according to a statement from the Maryland district attorney.

“Violent crime in Baltimore, especially gun crime, takes far too many lives and undermines our ability to educate our children and build thriving businesses," U.S. Attorney for Maryland Robert K. Hur said in a statement on Monday, June 3.

Baltimore recorded 309 homicides in 2018, with a clearance rate of 43.4 percent, according to police. Officials said 44.4 percent of suspects and 48.5 percent of Baltimore's 2018 homicide victims had prior gun arrests. There were 342 homicides in Baltimore in 2017, when USA Today declared it the most dangerous city in America.

"Federal, state, and local law enforcement are united in our commitment to get guns and violent criminals off our streets and to reduce violent crime in our neighborhoods," Hur said Monday. "All hands are on deck to make Baltimore safer, and the technical assistance available to Baltimore as part of the Justice Department’s Public Safety Partnerships will be crucial to our efforts."

SEE ALSO: Baltimore Is America's Most Dangerous City, Analysis Finds

The U.S. Department of Justice created the National Public Safety Partnership initiative in June 2017 in response to an executive order that President Donald Trump issued on Feb. 9, 2017, charging the agency with leading a national effort to combat violent crime.

Baltimore is one of 10 areas selected to be part of the federal public safety initiative to combat violent crime this year.

These are the 10 locations designated the 2019 National Public Safety Partnership sites, officials announced on Monday, June 3:

• Baltimore, Maryland
• Anniston, Alabama
• Oxford, Alabama
• Anchorage, Alaska
• Davenport, Iowa
• Wichita, Kansas
• Baton Rouge, Louisiana
• Cleveland, Ohio
• Amarillo, Texas
• Harris County, Texas

More than 30 cities have participated in the initiative so far, officials reported.

Among the areas where the program was first rolled out are Detroit; Compton, California; Nashville, Tennessee; and Wilmington, Delaware.

"Several participating cities have already seen dramatic reductions in violent crime over the past two years," Barr said. "As we expand this program to 10 more cities across America, we are determined to replicate that success."

These are the primary partners in the initiative, officials said:

• Office of Justice Programs
• Office on Violence Against Women
• Office of Community Oriented Policing Services
• Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
• FBI
• U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
• U.S. Marshals Service