Violent crime is doubling on Baltimore's west side, shocking locals

Although Baltimore's violent crime rate is declining, the violent crime rate on Baltimore's west side has doubled.

“It discourages me more than anything,” said Doc Cheatham, president of the Matthew Henson Neighborhood Association in West Baltimore.

According to city police records, violent crime in the Western Police District is up 143% compared to this time last year.

The number of homicides has increased by 130%.

Non-fatal shootings increase 76%

Rapes on the West Side are up 357%.

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“It's scary because we should have seen a big drop in violence and crime and it's doing the exact opposite and going in the opposite direction,” Cheatham said.

In the western district, the city launched its strategy to reduce group violence for the first time.

It also houses two Safe Streets offices.

Earlier this year, Mayor Brandon Scott blamed the dramatic increase in crime on the city's restructuring plan, which expanded the population of the western police district.

But longtime residents of the embattled west side insist this is the result of years of neglect by city leaders.

“Someone doesn’t do something right and there’s a whole bunch of mistakes,” Cheatham said.