BALTIMORE — With his father in prison and his mother suffering from alcoholism, Malik Grant faced abandonment and instability early on. People got used to getting rid of it.
So when outreach workers from an anti-violence program in Baltimore offered to help her stay safe and leave the streets behind, she didn’t necessarily have high hopes.
Two years later, Grant has an apartment and a full-time job at the city’s Public Works Department. He recently started his own business that offers cleaning, gardening and garbage removal services. He plans to recruit other young people from his old neighborhood to show them what is possible with hard work.
“I just needed a push,” she said with a smile.
Grant, 29, is among about 200 people receiving help through Baltimore’s relatively new Gang Violence Reduction Strategy. causes of gun violence: hope, unemployment, poverty, mental health, substance abuse, housing instability, poor conflict resolution and more.
The program uses a “carrot and stick” approach. As much as possible, it provides resources and social services to those most likely to become a shooter or victim. But if they continue to be involved in crimes, they face police investigation possible trialSince the new strategy was launched in January 2022, it has resulted in more than 350 arrests.
The initial results are promising.
Baltimore recorded 201 homicides in 2024, the lowest annual total in a decade, according to police data. It represents a decrease of 23% compared to the previous year, a downward trend which started in 2023. Non-fatal shootings have also dropped significantly.
To some extent, the data echo trends across the nation, with many cities seeing a spike in violence during the pandemic. Philadelphia and Detroit they are among those that have registered a decrease in recent homicides.
It’s a relief for Baltimore, where gun violence soared after the 2015 death Freddie Gray He revealed the urgent need for police reform. And while other factors almost certainly contributed to the decline, including police changes and stronger detective work, city leaders are quick to credit efforts like the Gang Violence Reduction Strategy.
The program assigns each participant a life coach to help them navigate everything from getting a driver’s license and opening a bank account to applying for food stamps, earning a GED, finding stable housing and getting a job.
That often means leaving behind familiar patterns and embracing the unknown, even when a bright future seems out of reach or unlikely, said Sterling Herring of the Youth Advocate Program, which contracts with the city to provide services.
“A lot of our guys won’t know their social security number, but they know their prison ID,” Herring said. “That’s the mentality we have to change.”
Grant survived a shooting that left him hospitalized in 2020. After connecting with Youth Advocacy Programs, he was eligible for emergency relocation and spent several months in hotels before moving to his current apartment. It’s the first place he can proudly call home, and he shares the space with his beloved husky-pit bull mix.
After months of receiving rental assistance, she will soon start covering the rent on her own.
And Grant’s the company he recently signed his first contract. He joked that being diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder makes him fit to run a cleaning business.
“He treasured his childhood trauma,” said life coach Sacha Smith.
Experts say so-called “focused deterrence” programs are one of the best ways to reduce gun violence, but Baltimore has tried and failed to implement similar strategies in the past.
To be successful, participants need a life-changing level of support, which requires dedicated and efficient staff with access to sufficient resources. The law enforcement side of the equation requires building strong cases that lead to successful prosecutions.
“It’s a hard thing to get right,” said Daniel Webster, a professor at the Center for Gun Violence Solutions at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. “What you really want that program to do is change an entire system of how law enforcement works to address gun violence.”
While praising the city’s recent efforts, Webster also pointed to federal and state legislation to tighten gun laws and a more aggressive approach. prosecuting illegal firearms cases in baltimore
Meanwhile, the Baltimore Police Department is undergoing significant court-ordered changes aimed at curbing unconstitutional practices. He was placed under an agency federal consent decree After the Department of Justice launched an investigation into Gray’s death from spinal injuries sustained during police transport.
Murders rose at that time and stayed raised in years.
Police Commissioner Richard Worley said the city is now proving it’s possible to reduce violent crime and enforce the law at the same time. He attributed the success to strong partnerships between city agencies, community groups and law enforcement.
The new anti-violence strategy is now operational in four of the nine police districts, with plans to roll it out across the city. The researchers found that it was responsible for reducing shootings and homicides by roughly a quarter during the 18 months that the city’s West Ward was so violent.
Worley said increased community confidence and lower caseloads are helping detectives solve more homicides. Officers are going after a relatively small number of known shooters, rather than making large-scale arrests.
Mayor Brandon Scott, who won re-election last year, a five year plan That he hoped to reduce gun violence in Baltimore by 15% annually by 2021. He created a new office to oversee anti-violence efforts, including the city’s flagship Safe Streets programwhich employs conflict mediators with credibility and street knowledge.
“We’re really talking about a Herculean effort,” Scott said in a recent interview.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, who visited Baltimore earlier this month, praised what he called “all of the above” during a press conference on the homicide numbers.
But officials also still acknowledged the staggering loss of life.
Kierra Morrison, whose 17-year-old son was shot and killed on Christmas Eve, held a candlelight vigil in downtown Baltimore this month to mourn last year’s 201 victims. The city’s recent achievements brought him little comfort.
“I’m at a loss for words,” he said.
Morrison said her son was recently talking about enrolling in a job training program. Despite the recent challenges, he expressed hope that he would find a bright future. If only he had more time.
