Mayor Scott: Murders Near 50-Year Low, Vacant Buildings Down 25% Since 2019

Mayor Brandon Scott opened the conversation with two stark numbers: murders in Baltimore are at a nearly 50-year low, and vacant buildings in the city have declined 25% since 2019. He presented those figures as central proof that Baltimore is recovering from the decades of disinvestment that have shaped neighborhoods across the city.

Scott made the claims during an interview with CBS that aired with national attention on February 26, 2026, speaking amid criticism from the Trump administration over urban policy and public safety. The mayor framed the data as part of what he called a broader comeback effort for Baltimore, arguing the metrics show tangible changes in street violence and the built environment.

Local data bolsters the mayor’s assertion: city officials report the drop in vacant properties compared with the inventory tracked in 2019, and Baltimore Police Department tallies place homicides near levels not seen in roughly half a century. Those numbers factor directly into budget and enforcement debates at City Hall, where council members and the mayor have exchanged proposals tied to policing, housing code enforcement, and demolition funding.

The changes carry direct consequences for residents in neighborhoods long affected by vacant houses and high homicide rates. A 25% reduction in vacant buildings since 2019 alters the stock of boarded properties that neighbors contend with on blocks from West Baltimore to parts of East Baltimore, and fewer murders reshapes evening routines for people who commute through downtown and the waterfront. City agencies that manage blight and public safety will face pressure to translate the headline metrics into sustained street-level improvements.

Politically, the numbers give Scott a national talking point as he counters criticism from federal figures and positions Baltimore as a model for urban recovery. The mayor’s use of CBS as a platform suggests an effort to shape both local perceptions and national narratives ahead of policy fights over federal urban funding and public-safety priorities.

The mayor and city officials have presented the declines in homicides and vacant properties as a milestone in Baltimore’s long recovery; the coming months will test whether the city can turn those metrics into lasting reductions in neighborhood blight and sustained public-safety gains.