Anaiyah Conley
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
July 2, 2023, was supposed to be a day of celebration in the South Baltimore neighborhood of Brooklyn Park. The annual ‘Brooklyn Day” block party was attended by over 700 members of the community but ended in what is known as the largest mass shooting in the history of Baltimore. Leaving two dead and 28 injured. Seven months later, the community is trying to make sense of what happened with what feels like no help from the Baltimore City government.
Many residents questioned the lack of police presence at the party. “This event happens yearly, so how did the police not know? I’m just trying to figure out how the police weren’t aware of this block party going on,” said Craig Johnson, a resident of Brooklyn for 24 years.
After the shooting, Mayor Brandon Scott and Governor Wes Moore gathered community members to give their reactions to the incident and give out resources.
“I don’t think it was enough; it’s never enough when someone’s life is taken. Once that happened, it’s almost forgotten about,” said Johnson. “Since the shooting, the police disappeared like it was another shooting; I don’t blame the department. It’s just not enough officers to cover the area.”
While Baltimore City saw its most significant mass shooting, Baltimore County saw a noticeable decrease in homicides and non-fatal shootings for the first time in nearly a decade. This leaves residents to wonder why there is a difference in crime rates between the city and the County.
“I believe Baltimore County has more resources than we have. They have more resources for everything. As big as we are, the city doesn’t have enough resources,” said Johnson. “So much goes on there’s not enough officers.”
“I live on the city line; I hear and see more police cars in the city than the county; however, if you need to call for the police, the county police officer will appear quicker than the city one,” said Souadou Barry, a resident of Baltimore City. “There’s more crime in the city, so you’ll see them more, but it is not a lot of help compared to the county.”
The decrease in shootings in Baltimore County could also show the action Governor Wes Moore is taking to reduce crime. Baltimore is one of the areas in the government’s P.R.O.T.E.C.T (Public Resources Organizing to End Crime Together) bill; the mission is to utilize local resources and create programs to reduce crime in neighborhoods.
Baltimore County’s decrease in shootings could be the first step in Baltimore City’s reduced crime rates. This initiative will open the doors for equal resources for all of Baltimore and a decreased crime rate.