Baltimore’s top law enforcement leaders say they are working closely together to fight crime, but the community should not expect a turnaround soon, the Baltimore Sun reports. State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby and Police Commissioner Kevin Davis, in a joint interview with the Sun, say they are overseeing crime-fighting in a different climate from six years ago, when the city experienced fewer than 200 homicides for the first time in decades. Both officials said those past gains were achieved using heavy-handed tactics that have been disavowed. “There was a price to pay for” the drop below 200 homicides, a price “that manifested itself in April and May of 2015,” Davis said, referring to the uprising after the death of Freddie Gray. “I think the long view is that doing it the right way is doing it the hard way, and I think most Baltimoreans realize that the way forward is not always going to be easy.”
Mosby agreed. “People want to look for an overnight solution, but a lot of what has gotten us to this place didn’t happen overnight.” She said Baltimore “is kind of in transition right now. At the end of the day, we’re making a lot of positive changes.” Baltimore is on track for more than 300 killings for the third consecutive year. Among the latest victims was a 15-year-old boy who was gunned down in the mid-afternoon Tuesday, the third teenager killed this month. In addition to spiking crime, authorities have continued to grapple with scandals that have led to criminal charges against officers and the dropping of scores of court cases. The two officials said they work closely and rely on each other. “There’s a co-dependence,” Mosby said. “It’s really important to collaborate and meet to be on the same page, for the safety and betterment of Baltimore.” Mayor Catherine E. Pugh released her plan this month for stemming the city’s persistent violence. She said she expects a 10 percent to 20 percent reduction in crime within a year.