Some violent crime, including murder, is down in Baltimore

Despite the constant stories in the media and lawmakers discussion regarding violence in Baltimore, there is actually some good news. Baltimore isn’t the violent place that it has been in the past. It is no longer a member of the top-five list of U.S. cities with the highest rates of murder.

Numbers from 2011 lowered Baltimore to sixth on that dreaded list. Sure, it might still be close to the top five, but it is still important to note the improvement. Will lawmakers and officials see this as a reason to take a break from targeting violent crime in the city? Probably not. They will more likely use this good news as reason to fight even harder against potential violent offenders in Baltimore.

The following are some statistics regarding Baltimore crime:

• In 2011, there was a 12 percent decrease in the number of murders.
• In 2011, there were only 381 non-fatal shootings, compared to 651 the year before. That’s a big drop.

While the above numbers are positive news for the image of Baltimore, lawmakers will most certainly continue to combat the rate of violent crime with strict laws and enforcement. And another number that we haven’t mentioned yet will most likely lead to a renewed, more stringent focus on another serious crime.

The rates of murder and non-fatal shootings might have gone down, but there has been an increase in the number of reported rapes in Baltimore. A rise in the number of reported rapes, however, might not mean that rape is occurring more frequently than in the past. Instead, sources suggest, it could be the result of a relatively new way that law enforcement handles and classifies rape cases.

Source: The Baltimore Sun, “Baltimore falls out of top 5 murder rate cities,” Justin Fenton, June 11, 2012