Baltimore Police launched a new unit to improve safety in the city’s entertainment districts, department officials said.
The Entertainment District Unit (EDU) launched on August 10 and currently operates in the Inner Harbor, Federal Hill, Harbor Point and Fells Point neighborhoods, BPD officials said.
New Baltimore Police unit
The new police unit was “designed to enhance livability and ensure enjoyable experiences for residents and visitors in Baltimore’s most active entertainment zones,” BPD said in a statement.
The EDU will provide parking and traffic enforcement, address dirt bike activity, seize illegal firearms and engage with the community to address chronic nuisance issues, the department said.
“The Entertainment District Unit is about more than just enforcement, it’s about creating safe, welcoming spaces where people can enjoy all the great things that Baltimore has to offer,” Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said. “Through proactive policing and collaboration, we’re working to reduce crime, address quality-of-life concerns, while building stronger connections with our community and partners.”
Since the new unit launched, officers have made seven arrests, seized three handguns and completed more than 1,100 business checks, according to BPD.
According to the department, the EDU will expand to the Canton Square, Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium areas in the future.
Crime in Baltimore’s entertainment districts
The new EDU comes as some residents and business owners in Baltimore’s entertainment districts have raised concerns about crime.
In Fells Point, a shooting in the 800 block of South Broadway Street prompted concerns after a bystander was grazed by a bullet on August 22.
The shooting left two bullet holes in a nearby coffee shop and prompted a police investigation. Nearly 12 hours later, a fight broke out near where the shooting occurred.
In July, a shooting in Fells Point near Bank Street left a 24-year-old injured. An armed robbery was reported two blocks away hours later.
In early July, a 21-year-old was killed in the 1500 block of Thames Street. Some residents expressed frustration after learning about the shooting.
“I don’t like hearing that,” said resident Jeremiah Baldwin. “It just adds to the fact that I have to be cautious and watch my back anywhere I go, honestly. It shouldn’t be like that, especially in an area that’s getting so nice. People are coming here to have fun.”
Residents and business owners in the Federal Hill neighborhood have expressed similar concerns.
Just this week, the owners of Moo Moo Cows said their ice cream shop was vandalized three times in less than one month.
In early August, Andrew Wheeler, the owner of Locals Only, said the crime in Federal Hill was the worst he had seen in the neighborhood.
“We’ve had some rough summers here and there, but this is the worst that I have seen,” he told WJZ just after a 39-year-old woman was shot during a chaotic scene.
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