Group Violence Reduction Strategy Now Active in Six BPD Districts Representing More Than Half the City's Population
BALTIMORE, MD (Friday, April 17, 2026) — Today, Mayor Brandon M. Scott, the Baltimore Police Department (BPD), and the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE) officially announced the expansion of Baltimore’s Group Violence Reduction Strategy (GVRS) into BPD's Northern District.
“GVRS is helping to drive historic reductions in homicides and nonfatal shootings across Baltimore,” said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. “By focusing on and intervening in the lives of those at the very highest risk of being shot or shooting someone else, we are building safer communities, changing lives, and removing those who engage in behaviors conducive to group violence off of our streets. This work is making a difference, and expanding the strategy to the Northern District is a key milestone in maintaining the progress we have seen as a city.”
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, the Eastern District in February 2024, and the Southern District in July 2025. The focused deterrence strategy’s implementation in the Northern marks the sixth BPD District that GVRS is active in and fulfills a crucial step toward citywide expansion of the strategy. Combined, these districts encompass approximately 60% of the city's population.
“Baltimore is tackling the public health crisis of gun violence head-on, and we have already seen the results – homicides and nonfatal shootings have decreased significantly. The expansion of Mayor Scott’s Group Violence Reduction Strategy in the Northern District will play an important role in furthering this progress. I will keep fighting to deliver more federal public safety resources to Baltimore to help move us further along the path of building a safer, stronger city,” said Senator Chris Van Hollen.
“Every Marylander has the right to feel secure in their homes, every child and teacher should feel safe in their schools, and businesses should have confidence in locating in the community," said Senator Angela Alsobrooks. Today’s announcement of expanding Baltimore’s Group Violence Reduction Strategy into the Baltimore Police Department’s Northern District is an important step to reducing gun violence in our state. Mayor Scott and Team Maryland are laser focused on fighting for Baltimore to fuel its economy, create new jobs and opportunities to thrive, and most importantly, to keep its residents safe. We know this strategy is working – homicides and nonfatal shootings are decreasing – and we will keep fighting until every single Marylander feels safe.”
"Mayor Scott's Group Violence Reduction Strategy has been critically important to the sustained decrease in murders and non-fatal shootings in Baltimore over his tenure, and I am glad to see it continue to expand across our City," said Congressman Kweisi Mfume. "The results of the GVRS speak for themselves, and the strategy's expansion to the Baltimore Police Department's Northern District will mean even greater collaboration between BPD, social services, and members of the community throughout North Baltimore. I am proud to have secured more than $1 million to support the expansion of the Group Violence Reduction Strategy in the FY26 Appropriations Process, and I am thrilled to have a partner truly dedicated to seeing Baltimore turn the corner on crime in our Mayor's Office."
Accountability and Sustained Engagement
The strategy relies on a tri-party partnership of the Mayor’s Office, BPD, and prosecutors, with the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE) leading day-to-day project management and interagency accountability.
“Through GVRS, our Office has dismantled violent criminal networks, taken deadly drugs and illegal guns off Baltimore's streets, and offered those at the highest risk of violence a real choice between accountability and opportunity,” said Attorney General Anthony Brown. “Partnerships like this one save and change lives, and today's expansion into the Northern District is a critical part of making Baltimore, and all of Maryland, safer for everyone.”
“The expansion of the Group Violence Reduction Strategy into the Northern District builds on the meaningful progress our members, partners, and community have made in reducing violence across the city,” said Police Commissioner Richard Worley. “GVRS focuses on prevention, intervention, and outreach to those at the highest risk, while offering pathways away from crime. By working alongside our community, service providers, outreach teams, and law enforcement partners, we are focused on long-term solutions that strengthen trust and create safer, stronger neighborhoods.”
"The expansion of GVRS into the Northern District is a testament to what's possible when government, law enforcement, and community work together with intention and accountability,” said City Council President Zeke Cohen. “The City Council has been a committed partner in this strategy because the evidence is clear that when we pair real services with real accountability and focus on those at the highest risk, we save lives. Last year's historic reduction in homicides is progress, but 133 is still 133 too many. We will keep pushing until every neighborhood in Baltimore is safer."
“GVRS is a prime example of how government, law enforcement, and community members are working together to co-produce public safety and break cycles of retaliatory violence,” said MONSE Director Stefanie Mavronis. “Today’s announcement reflects a shared commitment by everyone involved to expand, sustain, and strengthen evidence-based public safety work that is contributing to significant reductions in gun violence. This work would not be possible without deep collaboration and intentional partnership between the Mayor's Office, GVRS service providers YAP and Roca, BPD and their Group Violence Unit, our Community Moral Voices, and prosecutors”
GVRS is an intervention strategy that 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 outreach and ensure effective partnership around the strategy’s anti-violence goals.
Baltimore’s Historic Drop in Crime
By focusing on those responsible for driving the majority of violence in Baltimore, GVRS has helped produce record declines in homicides and nonfatal shootings across Baltimore. 2025 saw the fewest number of homicides – 133 – in over 50 years. Homicides and nonfatal shootings are down approximately 60% in Baltimore over the past five years. As of this morning, homicides are down 8.6% compared to the same time period in 2025.
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 four 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 April 15, 2026, 367 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, Eastern, Southern, and now Northern BPD Districts. For those who refuse to change their behaviors, GVRS has produced 631 arrests, removing individuals and groups driving gun violence from Baltimore’s streets.
Reducing 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, 94.6% 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, 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.