‘It’s outrageous’: Maryland Gov. Hogan questions Baltimore leaders for violent crime response

BALTIMORE — Maryland Governor Larry Hogan questioned management of Baltimore’s high officers and their dealing with of violence within the metropolis.

As of Thursday, Baltimore mentioned it’s investigating 151 murders this 12 months, which is a rise of 9 in comparison with this time in 2021.

Baltimore can also be on tempo to achieve close to 300 murders for the 12 months.

Gov. Hogan mentioned he has carried out virtually all the things can do to assist Baltimore, and its elected officers.

“Except I determine to run for Mayor of Baltimore, I’m unsure what else I can do to repair it, however we’re going to proceed to do what we are able to to offer all the help for them,” Gov. Hogan mentioned on Thursday.

RELATED: Gov. Hogan calls out Baltimore Mayor for “utter lack of progress” towards implementing crime plan

Hogan mentioned he has given Baltimore Metropolis greater than $1 billion for public security.

“We’ve given Baltimore Metropolis police, and the varied 4 totally different mayors, we’ve handled all the things they’ve requested for to try to get issues carried out,” Hogan mentioned. “We pushed for more durable sentencing for repeat violent offenders and individuals who preserve taking pictures on the streets of Baltimore, all of them opposed on laws and it failed the Senate twice.”

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott formally responds to final week’s scathing letter from Gov. Hogan

General, Gov. Hogan mentioned the state has given Baltimore Metropolis greater than $6 billion to put money into the foundation causes of crime, the varsity system, workforce improvement, tearing down blighted territory, and extra.

Dueling letters deal with Baltimore crime

Nonetheless, the governor blamed Baltimore leaders for his or her position in stopping violence.

“We’re not arresting sufficient folks. We’re not prosecuting sufficient folks and we’re not sentencing sufficient folks. None of these issues are taking place,” Hogan mentioned. “Arrests are manner down, I believe practically 80 or 90 %. We prosecute like 30 folks a 12 months in Baltimore Metropolis for first-degree homicide for 300 murders. It’s outrageous.”

Gov. Hogan just lately wrote Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott a letter concerning the town’s crime preventing technique.

An “utter lack of progress” is how Hogan phrased his criticism of Scott’s try to implement the town’s crime plan.

In that preliminary letter to Scott, Hogan mentioned he needed the newest variety of open felony warrants in Baltimore.

The Governor claimed that it was round 6,000 as of February.

Scott in his written response mentioned that quantity was correct, and that the town has since employed a agency to “modernize and clear up” the police division’s historic warrant database.

One factor the Mayor did disagree with Hogan on, was the notion that Baltimore Police had been turning down provides from the Maryland State Police to assist with investigations.

In his letter to Hogan, Scott known as that data “inaccurate” saying he’s unaware of any “explicit cases of BPD rejecting MSP investigative help in ongoing and lively instances.”

Scott took it a step additional asking for much more State Police assist. Regardless of homicides and non-fatal shootings being up this 12 months in comparison with final, Scott nonetheless insisted the numbers are declining month-to-month in an try to show his technique is working slowly however certainly.

The Mayor additionally prolonged one other invite for Hogan to go to Baltimore and talk about the town’s ongoing crime battle.