Revisiting the 1986 DOCUMENTARY: The Streets Of Baltimore | Guns & Drugs

Lets take a look back at the 1986 documentary about Baltimore's teen street violence issue. Based on a number of pieces published in the Baltimore Sun by reporter Robert Hilson, who also worked for the program in the same role. Kurt Schmoke, the state attorney for Baltimore City, was among the guests.

According to the most recent police data, which shows a 22% decrease in murders and a 19% decrease in non-fatal shootings year-to-date compared to 2024, Baltimore City is still dealing with the lingering shadow of teen gun violence despite a more generally encouraging decline in homicides and shootings. Programs like the Group Violence Reduction Strategy and Youth Advocate Programs have connected over 260 at-risk teens to life coaching, with a 97.7% non-recidivism rate among participants. These gains highlight the urgency of sustained intervention, even though the first half of 2025 saw the fewest youth homicides in over a decade—just two juveniles under the age of 18 were killed, a 71% decrease.

Though experts attribute this to treating gun violence as a public health crisis, isolated incidents continue to occur, reflecting the long-standing cycle in which teens alternate between victims and perpetrators in retaliatory shootings that are frequently concentrated in high-risk neighborhoods and school zones. Recent expansions into South Baltimore aim to further restrict access to firearms and provide wraparound services. Community leaders stress that zero tolerance for youth involvement is still the goal as the city watches violent crime hit historic lows. They call for continuous investment in community policing, education, and mental health services to avoid a relapse into the record highs of previous years.