“It happens here pretty much four or five days a week,” said a city resident who asked not to be named, citing concern for her safety. “It’s just basically a free-for-all.”
In the heart of downtown Baltimore, just above the iconic Inner Harbor, a group of young people are reportedly wreaking havoc on a busy stretch of stores and restaurants.
“I’ve seen several assaults,” said the resident.
Around Baltimore Police responded to several calls reporting a group of suspected juveniles—allegedly five boys and one girl—seen attacking an elderly man.
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“We’re getting a common assault,” said police dispatch over the scanners. “Says kids are assaulting an elderly male.”
At one point, the chaos reportedly made its way next door to a parking garage.
“All are saying the same thing, people assaulting a male. Now, they’re saying inside the parking garage, but no level,” relayed dispatch.
By the time officers arrived, the suspects were gone and no arrests were made. As for the victim, police say he was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
“Every day, every day we have to call 911,” said the manager of the Dunkin’ Donuts across the street.
The manager didn’t witness that assault firsthand, but he’s seen enough that he wasn’t surprised. In the last two months, he says kids have shattered the glass on his store’s front door on three separate occasions, and are constantly stealing from and vandalizing the store.
“20 to 25 kids we see almost every day,” he said. “Assaulting people, spitting on people, breaking the glass. It’s very hard for us to run the business. We need at least some police response.”
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“There are no consequences for them,” said the resident. “There is an alarm system that goes off every night. It says, ‘No loitering, no loitering, no loitering.’ They don’t care about that. That’s just music to their ears right now.”
Sounding their own alarm—as city leaders continue to tout record-low crime—those working alongside one of Baltimore’s main tourist attractions warn there’s still more work to be done.
“We don’t feel safe. I don’t feel safe,” said the Dunkin’ Donuts employee.
“If you can’t, in this city, go about your daily business without being attacked, something is wrong. Something really needs to be done,” said the resident.
FOX45 reached out to Baltimore Police asking if they are aware of these concerns, and if so, what are they doing to address them. We did not immediately hear back.