ROCKVILLE, MD (Nov. 24, 2021) — Yesterday, Gov. Hogan announced numerous actions his administration will take to help curb violent crime in Baltimore City.

Sean Kennedy, visiting fellow at the Maryland Public Policy Institute and criminal justice expert, issued the following statement in response:

We applaud Governor Hogan’s announcement that his administration will take action to reduce gun violence in Baltimore City. In a city experiencing more than 300 murders every year and with municipal leadership utterly failing to halt the surge of death, it is refreshing to see the governor take a forthright stand in favor of saving lives now.

His efforts to pull facts out of the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office is a desperately needed step in bringing the office back to reality. During the six years that Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby has been in office one out of every 300 Baltimore residents has been murdered. It is beyond time for the truth of how her office operates to be known.

We are also proud to see the research done here at MPPI used by the Hogan administration in crafting its policy responses to Baltimore City’s violence crisis. We have advocated for solutions like increasing policing and compelling the city’s prosecutor to pursue cases for years. Such policies must be swiftly enacted to provide the people of Baltimore with safety as they walk their streets.

The Maryland Public Policy Institute is a nonpartisan public policy research and education organization that focuses on state policy issues. The Institute’s mission is to formulate and promote public policies at all levels of government based on principles of free enterprise, limited government, and civil society. Learn more at mdpolicy.org.

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