Baltimore saw fewer killings last year than any other in the past two decades, but data released this week show the city's homicide rate ranked the highest among the nation's cities with a population of more than 500,000.
Despite recording its lowest number of killings in 20 years, Baltimore experienced 37 homicides per 100,000 residents last year, ahead of Detroit, which had 34 per 100,000 residents, according to data compiled by the FBI.
While the District of Columbia was not included in FBI data, it appears to rank third, with about 31 killings per 100,000 residents. No other city with a population of more than 500,000 came close; Philadelphia had the next highest rate, with 22 homicides per 100,000 people.
When smaller cities with a population of at least 100,000 are included in the analysis, Baltimore ranks No. 3, trailing New Orleans (57) and St. Louis (47).
Baltimore's appearance at the top of such lists is nothing new, but the placement was disappointing for city officials who cheered last year's declines.
Taken alone, last year's statistics were encouraging, with some of the most traditionally troubled neighborhoods seeing major decreases in crime. Officials say initiatives to prioritize warrant service and protect at-risk juveniles have paid off, and so far this year, while homicides have jumped 17 percent, fatal and nonfatal shootings are down 14 percent, and overall crime is down 8 percent.
Baltimore leaders are struggling to combat a perception that the crime rate has not improved, and national figures show that relative to other large cities, progress is less dramatic. Last year's figures came amid a national trend that has seen violent crime fall across the country, including a 4.4 percent decline in homicides.
Police say many of the killings have ties to the city's persistent drug trade, and victims and suspects are likely to be young black males with criminal records.
Mayor Sheila Dixon said she was "disappointed" to see Baltimore's place in the rankings and acknowledged that much work remains. She said that short prison sentences are hurting the city's ability to keep dangerous people off the streets.
"I know that our police are working extremely hard, as well as many of our partners" in law enforcement, Dixon said. "But some of our other partners have got to step up. Folks that commit these crimes, particularly gun violence, we can't just slap them on the hands and let them out on probation. These are not random acts."
