I am so incredibly proud of Baltimore’s historic declines in violence.

When I joined the Council ten years ago, our city felt out of control. Death and corruption defined our narrative. Too many families were left to suffer alone and in silence. The next year we entered a consent decree with the DOJ for unconstitutional patterns and practices within our police department.

The public safety gains we are making are stunning. But most importantly, they have nothing to do with mass incarceration or zero tolerance. They are about Trauma-Informed Care, Community Policing, Group Violence Reduction Strategy, violence interrupters, effective prosecution, and investing in our people. They are about Baltimoreans saying “Enough is Enough,” reclaiming our neighborhoods and refusing to let anyone else tell our story.

We still have a very long way to go. I will not be satisfied until we are a truly safe city for everyone who lives and visits here. We have hard work to do to build an economy that lifts everyone. But it is worth taking a moment to acknowledge the way our village is standing tall. I love this city.