BALTIMORE, MD (Tuesday, May 26, 2026) - Today, Mayor Brandon M. Scott, the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE) and Catholic Charities of Baltimore announced that the Safe Streets Baltimore's Penn North site has reached a major milestone of over 365 days with no homicides in the site's catchment area.
The last homicide within the site's catchment zone was on May 23, 2025, in the 1800 block of N Woodyear Street. As of May 26, 2026, the site has continued to have zero homicides within the catchment area's boundaries for 368 days.
In order to help achieve this milestone, the Penn North site has conducted over 108 successful mediations and held 45 community events to bring resources into the community and spread anti-violence messaging during this time period. In 2025, Safe Streets violence interrupters mediated over 1,752 potentially violent conflicts across all 10 sites.
"Safe Streets sites across the city are putting boots on the ground to prevent violence and build safer communities," said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. "This work has helped produce historic reductions in shootings and homicides in Baltimore's most disinvested communities, and the Penn North site going over 365 days without a homicide is yet another example that community violence intervention truly does work."
"This achievement would not be possible without Safe Streets, the community, and so many others working together to enhance public safety from the ground up," said Councilman James Torrence, District 7. "We need to continue this collaboration and partnership until 365 days without a homicide isn't the exception, but becomes the norm for the Penn North community."
Penn North is one of ten Safe Streets Baltimore locations across the city. The Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE) is responsible for oversight of the Safe Streets Baltimore program and contracts with community-based organizations - Associated Catholic Charities and Lifebridge Health Center for Hope - (CBOs) to serve as site administrators. Catholic Charities operates the Penn North site as well as the Sandtown-Winchester, Brooklyn, and Cherry Hill locations. LifeBridge Health's Center for Hope serves as the operator for the Belvedere, Park Heights, Woodbourne-McCabe, Belair-Edison, McElderry Park, and Franklin Square locations.
"Treating violence as a disease works. Safe Streets and our Community Violence Intervention (CVI) ecosystem are bearing fruit and helping drive historic citywide reductions of violence," said MONSE Director Stefanie Mavronis. "365 days without a homicide isn't a coincidence. This milestone is an opportunity to acknowledge how far the Penn North community has come, but also an opportunity for us to recommit ourselves to public safety."
"More than a year without a homicide in Penn North demonstrates what's possible when communities are supported through trusted relationships, resources, and meaningful investment," said Catholic Charities Baltimore Executive Director Dave Kinkopf. "This milestone reflects the unwavering dedication of our staff and credible messengers whose work often happens behind the scenes - mediating conflict, building trust, and creating pathways to opportunity every day. We are deeply grateful for our partnership with MONSE and proud to stand alongside the Penn North community as we work to sustain this progress and create safer, stronger futures for more individuals and families."
As part of Baltimore's community violence intervention (CVI) ecosystem, Safe Streets relies on credible messengers with rapport amongst the communities they serve to mediate conflicts, oftentimes risking their own life to save those of their neighbors, and shift community norms around the acceptability of gun violence. This program is derived from the Cure Violence model for violence intervention.
Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health published a report in 2024 that found that Safe Streets has reduced homicides and nonfatal shootings in neighborhoods where it is present.
As outlined in the Mayor's Comprehensive Violence Prevention Plan, the Scott Administration has committed to supporting and strengthening Safe Streets.
Residents can learn more about Safe Streets and the results, outcomes, and impacts of work on MONSE's website: Safe Streets | Baltimore City.