Baltimore residents say they want to recall city leaders amid crime, education crises

close

Video

Fox News Flash top headlines for June 23

Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com.

A group of Baltimore residents are signing onto an effort to investigate and potentially recall city leaders amid a local surge in violent crime.

Former Republican mayoral candidate Pastor Shannon Wright is leading the effort and has been garnering petition signatures to support the use of the city's new recall procedures that were amended last year, as Fox 45 Baltimore first reported.

"We'd like to see a return in our investment on the city," Wright told Fox News.

BALTIMORE MASS SHOOTING LEAVES ONE DEAD, FIVE INJURED IN ‘VERY BRAZEN, VERY COWARDLY' ACT

She mentioned that the Baltimore City Council's decision to amend recall procedures allowing residents to recall certain city leaders before the next election. A recall effort can move forward if 75% of council members vote in favor of the effort, according to Fox 45.

The investigation possibly will target Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, City Council President Nick Mosby, City Council Education Committee head Robert Stokes and Councilman Ryan Dorsey.

"We created a petition on MoveOn.org … so that we are actually getting signatures and contact information," Wright said, "But we are not just putting all our eggs in one basket in the hope that the city will do the right thing because if they were inclined to do so, we wouldn't be in this situation."

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

In addition to the online petition, Wright also helped form a "ballot referendum committee" to push for ballot referendum and move toward a class-action lawsuit "if the city doesn't do what its elected officials were sworn in to do, which is protect its citizens."

Violence is the No. 1 concern among those joining the investigation and potential recall effort, Wright said.

Baltimore surpassed 160 homicides so far in 2021 on Monday, Fox 45 reported. Non-fatal shootings and general gun-related incidents in 2021 have surpassed 2020 numbers, according to Baltimore Police Department crime statistics.