Gov. Wes Moore told Baltimore residents that he didn’t need the help of federal troops to deal with our city’s crime crisis. When President Donald Trump offered to send in the National Guard, Moore dismissed the idea and said Maryland could handle it with State Police. Weeks have passed since that promise, and residents are still waiting to see the surge of state troopers in our streets.
Meanwhile, the violence continues. In the heart of downtown — just steps from the Inner Harbor — an elderly man was attacked. Businesses along one of our city’s busiest stretches are reporting chaos caused by groups of young people who seem to operate with impunity. The citizens of Baltimore don’t need speeches about “record-low crime.” We need to feel safe in our neighborhoods.
President Trump has shown he is willing to act. When unrest broke out in Washington, D.C., federal troops were deployed and order was restored in weeks. Here in Baltimore, Gov. Moore insists we don’t need the National Guard, but his alternative — the State Police — have yet to make their presence felt. The result? Residents continue to live in fear while our leaders trade sound bites.
Mayor Brandon Scott has dismissed Trump’s offer of help as a “distraction.” But for those of us who live here, there is no distraction — only the daily reality of robberies, assaults and lawlessness. A Pasadena man is speaking out after someone attacked him outside of his church in Baltimore. He has called for a stronger security presence in the city, suggesting the deployment of the National Guard. People are being attacked outside of churches. Families are afraid to walk downtown. Businesses are struggling to keep their doors open. This is not a distraction. It is the crisis at the core of Baltimore’s survival.
The sad truth is that city residents are trapped in a game of political football. On one side, the president offers help. On the other, the governor and mayor reject it — apparently because accepting it would mean admitting they don’t have all the answers. But pride and political identity won’t stop a bullet, won’t keep a store from being looted and won’t make an elderly man safe on his walk home.
This isn’t about party or personality. It’s about safety. The residents of Baltimore deserve the protection of every available resource, whether that comes from Annapolis, Washington or both. If President Trump’s help can clean up our streets, why should we say no just because we don’t like who it’s coming from? If Gov. Moore’s State Police can deliver results, then where are they?
Identity politics is killing progress in Baltimore. Too many leaders would rather score points than solve problems. And too many residents are left to pay the price.
The citizens of Baltimore are not asking for miracles. We are asking to walk our streets without fear. We are asking to worship in peace. We are asking to shop in our neighborhoods without looking over our shoulders. These are not partisan demands — they are basic rights.
So let me be clear: Baltimore doesn’t need more excuses. We don’t need more press conferences. We need action. If that means State Police, then deploy them now. If that means the National Guard, then accept the help. But stop telling us the city is safe when we see the opposite with our own eyes.
The people of Baltimore deserve better. And until our leaders put aside their egos and put public safety first, our city will remain trapped in a cycle of violence and empty promises.
Christopher Anderson is a third-generation Baltimorean, a U.S. Coast Guard veteran and a community advocate. He is chairman of the Maryland Black Republican Council and a member of the Baltimore City Republican Central Committee. He has run for Congress and the Baltimore City Council.