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The Baltimore Police Department is requesting federal police officers to combat violent crime in the city.
"The ask is for federal agents to come help us," Baltimore police Commissioner Michael Harrison explained this week, according to WBAL-TV.
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"Certainly, police officers will answer citizens calls for service. But I think what the bigger picture meant is federal agents will be on the streets of Baltimore. Not specifically patrolling, but on the streets helping, working side by side with police officers to help fight violent crime."
The federal government has yet to agree to the plan but it is believed that up to 100 officers, many from the ATF and U.S. Marshall’s office would be sent to assist Baltimore police.
It was also revealed via court testimony this week that Baltimore’s police department is facing a severe shortage of police officers. The department currently has 600 vacancies which includes 392 officers and 14 detectives.
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Baltimore is on track for 300 homicides for the seventh year in a row and is expected to experience 1,000 shootings by the end of the year.
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan said in May that he was "very concerned" about violent crime in the city, which was witnessing a 17% rise in homicides at the time, and urged against the push by Democrats nationwide to defund the police.
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"So, number one, we have to get tougher laws," Hogan said. "Number two, we can’t defund the police, which is the Mayor’s plan, we have to invest more in our police, and number three, we have to have a prosecutor that’s willing to prosecute crimes."
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