Enough is enough. That's what south Baltimore residents are saying about crime in their area. After a slew of robberies and recent assaults, people, city leaders and police are fighting back as a united front.
Much of the recent south Baltimore crime was committed by juveniles. Thursday, about 150 people came together for a walk to take their city back.
"These walks have two purposes the first if for neighbors to point out things to the police that they're intimately familiar with because they live in the neighborhood and the other piece of it is to get the police to educate citizens," Councilman Eric Costello told ABC2.
The night-time Riverside Park walks in south Baltimore are all about combating crime.
"I just want them to know that their police department understands and is engaged in what they're concerned about," Chief Stanley Brandford of the Baltimore Police Department, said.
Costello felt personally upset over the recent south Baltimore crimes because this violence fell right in his district
"This type of violence from juveniles is absolutely unacceptable there needs to be consequences for this type of behavior and they need to be held accountable."
The head of the department, Commissioner Kevin Davis is also standing firm and letting his residents know he's behind them.
"We're here tonight because some criminals decided to prey on this community the community didn't do it to themselves, the police didn't do it these few bad guys did it."
Costello said he's seen results from the walks which bring the community together; an opportunity to see neighborhood issues first hand. Residents hope all of these events will yield some major change in the city.
"Crime has been on the uptick in our neighborhood and i just want to see what's going on and see what Ican do to help," said Dennis Plouff.
But law enforcement knows it will take a united front to make these streets safer.
"We can do more, the community can do more this is about partnership, it's about us collaborating, getting together to solve these problems," Brandford said.
Commissioner Davis also talked about a new team of officers dedicated to combating juvenile crime that is already on the street.
