Group Violence Reduction Strategy Now Active in Five BPD Districts

BALTIMORE, MD (Wednesday, July 23, 2025) - Today, Mayor Brandon M. Scott officially announced the expansion of Baltimore's Group Violence Reduction Strategy (GVRS) into the Baltimore Police Department's (BPD) Southern District. Expansion took effect in late June 2025.

"This is an important milestone for our Group Violence Reduction Strategy, which is driving historic public safety progress across our city - including in the Southern District," said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. "Brooklyn, Curtis Bay, and Cherry Hill residents are already benefiting from GVRS, but will now see new resources and support in their communities. This expansion goes hand in hand with our other investments in new parks, playgrounds, rec centers, schools, and libraries: all of the resources that make Baltimore a better, safer, healthier place to live."

GVRS was first piloted in BPD's Western District in January 2022 before it was expanded to the Southwestern District in January 2023, the Central District in January 2024, and the Eastern District in February 2024. The focused deterrence strategy's implementation in the Southern District marks the fifth BPD District that GVRS is active in and fulfills a crucial step toward citywide expansion of the strategy.

"The expansion of GVRS into the Southern District represents real momentum in our efforts to reduce gun violence and save lives," said Police Commissioner Richard Worley. "By combining focused enforcement with strong community and service partnerships, we are dismantling violent drug networks and creating safer neighborhoods. This is about long-term change, standing with our residents and delivering credible opportunities and lasting support."

Accountability and Sustained Engagement

The strategy relies on the tri-party partnership of the Mayor's Office, BPD, and State's Attorney's Office, with the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE) leading day-to-day project management and interagency accountability.

"GVRS is having a profound impact on public safety across Baltimore and expanding to the Southern District is our next step. As part of Baltimore's Comprehensive Violence Prevention Plan, this strategy, along with Baltimore's ever-evolving CVI ecosystem, is changing the culture of this city, effectively shifting mindsets around violence and allowing us to intervene to prevent the next shooting or homicide from taking place," said MONSE Director Stefanie Mavronis. "This work would not be possible without deep collaboration and intentional partnership between the Mayor's Office, GVRS service providers YAP and Roca, BPD's Group Violence Unit, our Community Moral Voices, and prosecutors."

"Today's announcement showcases the powerful impact of partnership when we unite for a common goal: reducing violence in Baltimore. The Group Violence Reduction Strategy (GVRS) is a collaboration between my office, the Baltimore Police Department (BPD), and the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE), representing the community as a key partner in this vital initiative," said State's Attorney Ivan J. Bates. "Baltimoreans have passionately advocated for meaningful change in public safety, and while BPD officers have shown incredible dedication and perseverance on the streets, I recognized that an important piece was missing. Now, with accountability firmly back on the table, we are witnessing not only improved outcomes in our courtrooms but also a remarkable decline in violent crime across our city. Together, we are transforming Baltimore into a safer and brighter community for everyone."

The approach facilitates direct, sustained engagement with a small number of group-involved individuals who are the most likely to be the victim or perpetrator of violence. All shootings and homicides that occur in districts where GVRS is active are reviewed, wherein individuals at the highest risk of violence, victimization, and retaliation are identified as prospective participants.

From these identifications, eligible individuals are offered services to help them step away from behaviors associated with violence and are provided a clear mandate from community moral voice partners - residents and faith leaders who leverage their credibility to reach and intervene with people at the highest risk - to put down the guns or face swift, certain, and legitimate accountability through the criminal justice system. MONSE holds weekly Coordination Meetings to plan for the provision of services and ensure effective partnership around the strategy's anti-violence goals.

"GVRS has played a big role in making Baltimore safer because its members understand that arrests are only one tool in the fight against crime. By offering rehabilitative services to people who are most likely to be victims or perpetrators of violence, this program gives Marylanders the chance to put down their weapons and rejoin their communities without having to first spend time behind bars," said Attorney General Anthony Brown. "GVRS' expansion means more opportunities for my Office to work with Mayor Scott and BPD to seek justice for victims and communities harmed by the gun and drug trades, a partnership that helps me fulfill my greatest priority as Attorney General: keeping Marylanders safe."

Baltimore's Historic Drop in Crime

By focusing on those responsible for driving the majority of violence in Baltimore, GVRS has helped produce record reductions in homicides and nonfatal shootings across Baltimore. Compared to this time last year, the city has recorded a 24.3% decrease in homicides and a 18.4% decline in non-fatal shootings. Through June, Baltimore saw 68 homicides - the fewest in over 50 years - compared to 88 homicides in the first six months of 2024.

"Gun violence is a public health crisis, and Baltimore is tackling it head-on. The city's Group Violence Reduction Strategy has played an important role in reducing homicides and nonfatal shootings over the past year - and the expansion of this program in South Baltimore will support further progress. I will keep fighting to deliver federal public safety resources to help break the cycle of violence and move us forward in our shared goal of building a safer, stronger Baltimore," said Senator Chris Van Hollen.

"Thanks in no small part to Mayor Scott's Group Violence Reduction Strategy (GVRS), Baltimore City continues to experience a historic decline in violent crime. In the first six months of this year, Baltimore recorded the fewest homicides since we started tracking the data in 1970," said Congressman Kweisi Mfume. "With the expansion of the GVRS to South Baltimore, we can expect violent crime rates to continue falling. While even one homicide is too many and we know there is still much work to be done, I am proud to stand with Mayor Scott in support of this proven life-saving crime-reduction strategy," he concluded.

"Baltimore's homicide rate is going down - with the city's group violence reduction strategy playing an important role," Congressman Johnny Olszewski said. "It is a strategy that is working, and I congratulate Mayor Scott on his efforts to expand GVRS to the city's southern district. In Congress, I will continue to advocate for additional federal resources until all of Baltimore is able to benefit from these efforts."

"Baltimore is seeing significant reductions in homicides and violent crime because we understand that we need to leverage innovative approaches to reducing gun violence and improving public safety," said Council President Zeke Cohen. "The Group Violence Reduction Strategy has made a meaningful impact in other communities, and its expansion to the Southern District will help us continue this critical work, reach and empower more Baltimoreans, and improve public safety. I'm grateful to Mayor Scott for his leadership, and the incredible work of the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, the Baltimore Police Department, our State's Attorney's Office, City Council and our community to make this progress a reality."

"As in Chicago, Birmingham, and other cities, Baltimore City is celebrating a historic reduction in violence - both in my district and across the entire city. The expansion of the Southern District's Group Violence Reduction Strategy (GVRS) is a testament to our shared commitment to saving lives. By focusing on those at highest risk and providing opportunity, we are building safer, more resilient communities," said Councilwoman Phylicia Porter, District 10. "I applaud the Mayor's Office for continuing this critical initiative and I am deeply grateful to the numerous community members & advocates in my district, Baltimore City Police Department and the State's Attorney's Office for their collaboration. My office looks forward to strengthening our partnership with the Mayor's Office on the expansion of this results driven initiative."

"I have been a believer in the Group Violence Reduction Strategy since its roll out in 2022 and I commend Mayor Scott's unwavering commitment to the program, which is now paying huge dividends for Baltimore," said Councilman Zac Blanchard, District 11. "I am thrilled to see GVRS expanded to the Southern District, due to its proven effectiveness in reducing violent crime the right way."

The GVRS Western District pilot resulted in a significant decline in homicides and non-fatal shootings in Baltimore's most historically violent district within the first year of implementation. An external analysis by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania's Crime and Justice Policy Lab of the first 18 months of GVRS implementation in the Western District found that GVRS was associated with a 25% reduction in homicides and nonfatal shootings, as well as a 33% decrease in carjackings, with no commensurate increase in arrests or displacement of crime to other districts.

Importantly, more than two years after initiation of the Western District pilot, the strategy is continuing to maintain this early progress and connect identified individuals to life-changing services where possible. Between January 2022 and July 15, 2025, 256 individuals identified as being at the highest risk of involvement in gun violence have received life-changing services through Youth Advocate Programs (YAP) and Roca across the Western, Southwestern, Central, and Eastern BPD Districts. For those who refuse to change their behaviors, GVRS has produced 414 arrests, removing individuals and groups driving gun violence from Baltimore's streets.

Reducing Recidivism and Revictimization

MONSE closely monitors participant outcomes over time, in partnership with life coaches at YAP and Roca. While the strategy identifies and intervenes with the individuals most likely to be a victim or perpetrator of gun violence, GVRS has continued to see strong trajectories for participants over time. Since initial implementation in January 2022, 97.7% of participants have not recidivated and 95.7% of participants have not been revictimized proving that individuals engaged by the strategy are finding success in stepping away from violence and being provided the necessary resources to ensure sustainability.

GVRS relies on strong partnerships between MONSE, BPD, the State's Attorney's Office, service providers YAP and Roca, and Baltimoreans, along with federal, state and local government partners, including DPSCS, the Office of the Attorney General, Baltimore School Police, DJS, ATF, DEA, and the FBI.

Interagency Collaboration

To ensure quality implementation of GVRS across districts, the Scott Administration and technical advisors are measuring minimum capacity benchmarks for each of the strategy's four main components: violence reviews, direct communications, intensive life coaching, and strategic enforcement.