Recent incidents of crime in Baltimore have spread into prominent neighborhoods like Otterbein, the Inner Harbor and Federal Hill, according to neighborhood crime alerts. These range from theft to assault and auto theft.
One hot spot in particular, the Royal Farms at the corner of Light and Lombard Street, has become a common gathering for youth who are selling drugs and involved in various shootings. While there has been a greater presence of police, the incidents continue to plague this corner store, which has drawn a lot of news coverage, but no answers.
Baltimore businesses lose money when the most prominent tourism site, Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, is threatened by daylight crime. A recent HouseFresh report that says Baltimore is the “dirtiest city in America” highlights another challenge the city has in attracting newcomers. I have, with my photography, captured Baltimore’s beauty and historic landmarks. However, a collective and conscientious effort to keep the streets clean is a must. The Royal Caribbean cruise line’s announcement that it will no longer port in Baltimore shows how serious the problem is. With cleanliness, along with steady security, tourism can increase in Baltimore.
Understand, the problem of teen crimes in Baltimore starts in the school system. That’s why I chose to speak to students at Baltimore’s Kipp Academy in 2019, using the opportunity to talk about public behavior, diet and the goals of attending college.
The Baltimore City school system has onsite child care facilities in their high schools. Nearly 1,000 babies are born to teenagers in Baltimore each year, according to the Kids Count Data Center. Being born under these conditions makes the road to a successful life very hard. This growing trend, with students missing more than 20 days of school a year, further complicates the matter. It is a distraction for teens to become mothers at this alarming rate. But for a young father to suddenly have to provide for a child can lead to a career in crime.
Here are four ways we can improve Baltimore teenagers’ environment and reduce juvenile crime in the city:
Community centers
Baltimore teens need more safe places, especially during the summer, where they can continue learning. Community centers could channel their energies in positive ways. Computer labs are always a greater alternative to walking the streets. These centers could also provide career pathways which are missing for young African Americans in the city. Corporate funding channeled through the Greater Baltimore Committee and its members can provide the foundation for these centers. The Greenmount Avenue corridor would appear a good place to build a facility for youth engagement.
Reduce accessibility to guns
This has been a long term Baltimore problem, illegal guns in the hands of the city’s youth. A comprehensive effort to take these weapons off the streets will surely reduce the number of shootings the city faces. The crime spreading into lower crime areas at an alarming rate must end so everyday residents can feel safe. The concentration of crime must also be addressed by a more saturated approach in terms of policing.
Baltimore Police youth clubs
Once a very active program, the clubs have become almost non-existent. Police need to engage these teens in positive ways, apart from arriving at the scene of another shooting. The Baltimore Police Department Junior Cadets program is another path to connecting with youth on a social level, which can create a bridge for greater engagement.
Reforming the Baltimore juvenile justice system
The practice of incarcerating teens in large numbers in a single cell must come to a dramatic end. The entire Juvenile Justice Center must be inspected for health code compliance. Harsh conditions inside will always lead to the same offenders returning to the streets to commit more crime. Baltimore has had a problem with repeat offenders, criminals who are already wearing ankle bracelets committing more crimes, like carjacking. The system needs to be updated to prevent these repeat offenders from committing more crimes.
Wamara Mwine is a former White House reporter and community activist who lives in Maryland.
