Belvedere Safe Streets program celebrates over a year without homicides
BALTIMORE —
The Safe Streets initiative in the Belvedere neighborhood of Baltimore has proudly reached the significant milestone of a full year without any homicides.
This achievement marks the second occasion in which the Belvedere site’s designated area has maintained a years-long absence of fatal shootings. The previous record was set in June 2024 when the site also experienced over 365 days without a homicide.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott stated, “It’s a challenging task to encourage individuals who may intend to harm one another to reconsider their actions. However, it’s equally crucial for our residents to support these efforts to foster genuine and lasting cultural change within our communities. Over the past five years, we’ve been able to secure new investments, enhance support systems, and improve coordination; this progress is evident in the outcomes we see today.”
With this impressive record, the Belvedere Safe Streets site becomes the sixth location to achieve such a milestone in 2026. Other sites that have reached similar milestones include Park Heights, Penn-North, Sandtown, Woodbourne-McCabe, and, notably, in July, the Safe Streets site in McElderry Park in East Baltimore, which observed 403 days without a homicide.
Mediating conflicts as a strategy for violence prevention
Since September 19, Safe Streets sites across Baltimore have effectively mediated over 1,000 potential conflicts that could have resulted in violence and facilitated 405 referrals for supportive services in 2026, encompassing all 10 sites.
The Belvedere site alone has achieved more than 120 successful conflict mediation cases during this recent period, providing wraparound support referrals for 78 community members who were at risk of involvement in violence.
Adam Rosenberg, executive director of LifeBridge Health’s Center for Hope, highlighted, “Our collective efforts are focused on ensuring that everyone in our community can feel safe at home, allowing children to play freely at parks and enjoy bedtime stories with their parents. By fostering a healthy environment, we can cultivate individuals who grow into responsible, contributing members of society. The revitalization of the Park Heights area, including new developments like Pimlico and new housing and library facilities, signifies that this community is indeed on the rise, and we are thrilled to be part of it.”
Sinai Hospital has reported positive outcomes, noting a 52% decrease in admissions related to gunshot wounds.
LifeBridge Health is approaching gun violence as a critical public safety concern. The hospital system launched The Safer Futures Program, which distributes gun locks at no cost to promote safety.
The importance of a ‘Community Violence Intervention Ecosystem’
In addition to the efforts of Safe Streets, the mayor emphasizes a collaborative strategy in the fight against crime through his Group Violence Reduction Strategy.
| DOCUMENT: Comprehensive Violence Prevention Plan 2026-31 (PDF)
This ecosystem involves active participation from medical institutions to address violence as a public health challenge.
The mayor expressed that the success of Safe Streets and other group-oriented violence intervention strategies is essential for maintaining the downward trend in gun violence within the city. He hopes that the recently established Department of Neighborhood Services will help continue this positive trajectory.
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