New Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh has expressed dismay about the city’s high homicide total and suggested installing thousands more lights in city neighborhoods to curb crime, the Baltimore Sun reports. “It’s really sad we’re at 300 murders,” she said. “The murders are a big problem for our city. We know there are too many guns on the street. … Crime is an indicator of other systemic problems. … This conversation is not just with the police department. It has to be with community leaders and others in our community. “What are we going to do to convince folks to put down the guns? The shootings have got to stop. The killings have got to stop.”
A 42-year-old man and a 48-year-old man were killed in a shooting Tuesday night. They were the 300th and 301st homicide victims in Baltimore this year. Pugh said her administration is exploring the idea of adding about 6,000 lights around Baltimore. “The neighborhoods are just too dark,” Pugh said. “We’ve got to light the city up. … I’m talking about lights that will make it brighter in our neighborhoods and make people feel safer.” Meanwhile, Attorney General Loretta Lynch said today she is hopeful Department of Justice and Baltimore officials will agree to a consent decree governing police reform within the next month before Donald Trump takes office as president, but that reaching a deal depends on continued cooperation and good faith negotiations on the part of the city. “At this point, the ball’s in the city’s court,” Lynch said.