Mayor's report touts progress, but attorney says prosecutors' tactics are the real heroes

(WBFF) — At the end of his first term in office, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott released a glowing report citing "meaningful progress" in the city.

Baltimore is ending the year with 23% fewer homicides than last year and the report credits holistic-based solutions for reducing the homicide rate.

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The report attributes much of the success to the city's Group Violence Reduction Strategy, where 94% of criminal participants have no longer committed crimes.

However, criminal defense attorney Jeremy Eldridge isn't convinced about the impact of GVRS.

"There's no indication whatsoever, as a criminal defense attorney, that GVRS has had any impact on the street," Eldridge said.

Instead, Eldridge credits the work of Baltimore's new state's attorney Ivan Bates combined with the "Al Capone Style" of prosecution by U.S. Attorney Erek Barron.

"It wasn't until Ivan Bates and Erek Barron sat down and reestablished that partnership that it's created this fear among gun offenders," Eldridge said.

Even Bates admitted GVRS has played little role in reducing crime.

"GVRS is only two percent of the violent crimes my office prosecutes," Bates said.

"It's very easy for the Mayor who's in a political bubble, and not in and out of courtrooms, to think his policies are working," Eldridge said.

The Mayor's new report also cites progress in reducing the number of vacant homes in Baltimore and in making city agencies more efficient.