While cable news pundits and national newspapers often fixate on urban dysfunction, Black mayors across America are delivering measurable, record-breaking progress in public safety—and getting almost no credit for it. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin have overseen some of the steepest reductions in violent crime their cities have experienced in decades. But they are far from alone. From New York to Los Angeles to Chicago, Black mayors are proving that talent, vision, and a relentless focus on evidence-based policy—not tokenism—are transforming communities. Yet their achievements have largely been ignored by mainstream media outlets that rarely look past sensational headlines.
Baltimore, long branded one of America’s most dangerous cities, released midyear crime data showing a 22% drop in homicides compared to the same period last year. Nonfatal shootings are down 19%, and juvenile homicide victims have declined by an astonishing 71%. Police are solving more crimes, with a homicide clearance rate of 64% and a nonfatal shooting clearance rate 20 percentage points above the department’s 10-year average. “These historic lows are the result of a comprehensive, evidence-based public safety strategy that we have implemented in partnership with residents,” Mayor Scott said. “But our work is far from over—68 lives lost to violence is 68 too many.”
The progress didn’t happen by chance. Under Scott’s leadership, the Baltimore Police Department has combined targeted enforcement with offers of help. Commissioner Richard Worley described how the Group Violence Reduction Strategy works: “We go out and give them a letter and basically say, ‘Listen, we know you were doing the shooting. We want you to put the guns down, or we will take you and your entire drug operation off the street. But here are the services—job training, education, relocation.’” Meanwhile, in Birmingham, Mayor Woodfin has led an aggressive, community-driven approach that’s paid off. The city’s homicide rate has fallen 52% compared to last year, and the clearance rate for homicides has surged to 79%, a level rarely seen in major cities…