Baltimore neighborhood celebrates milestone of more than one year with no homicides
By Barry Simms
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BALTIMORE (WBAL) — Baltimore’s Brooklyn neighborhood is beaming with pride because of its focus on reducing violent crime.
According to the city, the area served by Safe Streets has gone more than 365 days without a homicide.
The total number of actual days, according to the city, is 408. A community gathering was held Tuesday to honor the work of Safe Streets’ violence interrupters in the Brooklyn community. They help reduce tensions and work to prevent gun violence and save lives.
Other areas in Baltimore, like Belvedere, Park Heights and Penn-North, have also hit milestones this year.
Both Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and City Councilmember Phylicia Porter, D-District 10, praised the efforts of Safe Streets.
“Community involvement is key,” Porter said. “Making sure that you not only have your city involved, but your council’s office as well. Making sure that we’re involved, making sure that we’re having those very hard conversations. Making sure we know what’s happening in the community.”
The day marked a significant celebration for an area where neighbors witnessed a mass shooting on July 2, 2023, during the Brooklyn Day gathering.
Aaliyah Gonzalez, 18, and Kylis Fagbemi, 21, were killed. Thirty others were wounded.
“We are all in this together,” Scott said. This isn’t just a Safe Streets accomplishment; this is a testament to Brooklyn’s resilience and the power of community. This is a community that has been disinvested in, neglected and ignored for a long, long time. But together, collectively, we are saying enough is enough, and Brooklyn can and will thrive.”
This past summer, the city and community members gathered for a day of healing and to remember the victims of the mass shooting. Now, the community is celebrating efforts to keep Brooklyn peaceful and safe.
“We know this place, and we know the people inside and out,” said Weezie, the Brooklyn Safe Streets site director. “The people that we don’t know, that just moved into this community, those are the people we focus to build with because we want to know them as well. The importance of our history and connections cannot be overstated. A lot of people in Brooklyn don’t trust outsiders, but they know and trust Safe Streets.”
Safe Streets acknowledged the progress that had been made, but also said there is still a lot more to do.
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