Mayor Brandon M. Scott has kicked off a youth safety initiative in Baltimore, ramping up community outreach in anticipation of spring break and the upcoming summer months. Through the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE), the city has begun deploying community violence intervention partners to high-traffic areas frequented by young people to build a preemptive presence and provide support where necessary.
The strategy not just hinges on visibility, it's also about connection. Teams started their ground-level outreach the past two weekends, according to a statement from the Mayor's office, and will continue to actively engage with youth on Friday and Saturday nights, including Sundays on holiday weekends, throughout summer. "It's on all of us to ensure our young people are safe and avoid behaviors that put themselves and others in danger," Mayor Scott proclaimed.
In line with the current initiative, there's also a new partnership on the block; the City has teamed up with B-360, a non-profit that combines dirt bike culture with STEM learning. B-360 recently opened a new center, slated to double as the Youth Connection Center on weekends, aimed at leveraging dirt bike intrigue to foster educational opportunities.
Among the groups joining the fray in this concerted effort are For My Kidz, Redesigning Minds, The Movement Team, and The PEACE Team. Together, they'll take to the streets, providing not just supervision but also acting as resources to diffuse potential conflicts and offer guidance to youth in need. Additionally, the City, in collaboration with the Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks (BCRP), has set up 27 spring break camps across the city, securing spots for some 630 youngsters. Plus, there's the Rec on the Run mobile unit — designed to bring recreation to communities less endowed with such facilities.
The merits of the approach seem to show in last year's statistics: youth shooting victimizations fell by 66 percent and aggravated assault victimizations by 31 percent following the 2023 summer strategy activation. Wrapping up the spring break period, Mayor Scott's office has organized a series of events that will culminate in the Spring Break Teen Fest on Saturday, April 19, 2025, at Druid Hill Park. A full 2025 summer strategy is expected to be unveiled by the Mayor in the near future.
