Baltimore boosts Fells Point security during Sail250 and Airshow weekend
Baltimore posted fencing, road closures and extra officers across Fells Point as Sail250 drew thousands, after two violent weekends rattled bars and residents.
Baltimore Police lined Fells Point with fencing, extra officers and cruisers as Sail250 Maryland and Airshow Baltimore drew thousands to the waterfront. The city paired the stepped-up presence with ID checks, street closures and curfew-style accompaniment rules after two violent weekends rattled the neighborhood.
Officers were stationed throughout Fells Point on foot and in cruisers as part of the weekend plan. Children under 14 had to be with an adult beginning at 9 p.m., and teenagers ages 14 to 17 had to be accompanied after 11 p.m. Parts of Thames Street, Aliceanna Street and Shakespeare Street were closed Saturday and Sunday starting at 9 p.m.
The crackdown followed a prior weekend in which police dispersed a crowd of more than 1,000 people from Fells Point. That same weekend included two shootings involving 18-year-olds, and both injuries were non-life-threatening.
Police Commissioner Richard Worley said the department was working with stakeholders who live and run businesses in Fells Point to finalize the approach. The city’s safety plan came as Sail250 Maryland, a free, multi-day commemoration running June 24-30, brought festival activity to the Inner Harbor, Fells Point, North Locust Point, Baltimore Peninsula and Martin State Airport.
Business owners and residents have pressed for help before. In 2024, neighbors and merchants sent a letter to the mayor asking for more police action to control weekend crowds, and long-running complaints in Fells Point have centered on underage drinking, disorderly conduct, public drinking and illegal alcohol sales during warm-weather weekends. State regulators and police have also spent years running compliance checks in the area after complaints involving teenagers.
Business owners said the heavier police presence made a noticeable difference compared with recent weeks of violence, while others said the recurring crime and road closures have cost them millions of dollars and strained the neighborhood’s economy.
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