Standing on a nook close to Cross Road Market in early January, Willie Darden’s watchful eye scanned a bunch of Baltimore highschool college students strolling towards the general public bus cease.
Darden mentors college students by the Motion Staff, considered one of 5 community-based organizations concerned within the metropolis’s “Secure Passage Baltimore” program. This system helps youngsters commute safely to and from college and prevents “student-involved incidents.”
“A variety of youngsters — they gained’t take heed to their dad and mom, however they’ll take heed to us,” Darden mentioned.
The mayor’s workplace offered information exhibiting violence close to colleges has decreased throughout this system’s implementation. However native companies close to two of the focused colleges described the scholars as violent and disruptive and recommended extra could possibly be executed to convey order to the encircling space when youngsters get out of college.
The Secure Passage program launched in 2023 and is city-funded by the Household League of Baltimore, which offered $525,000 for it this yr.
Secure Passage organizations engaged with over 8,000 college students from September to December 2024 and have “considerably enhanced college students’ sense of private security,” the mayor’s workplace mentioned.
Violence decreased by 10.8% inside round two miles of Digital Harbor Excessive College and 10.9% inside two miles of the Academy for School and Profession Exploration (ACCE), which serves center and highschool college students, the mayor’s workplace mentioned Friday. Each colleges joined the Secure Passage program originally of the present college yr.
However at a Federal Hill Starbucks a pair blocks from Darden’s submit, staff described frequent issues final week.
‘I really feel like there’s not a variety of assist’
Two supervisors, Mia Sanchez and Ben Krause, described how youngsters earlier that day had knocked down and damaged a number of the retailer’s merchandise and likewise “threw stuff” at Krause. Whereas Krause was talking with The Baltimore Solar that afternoon, Sanchez directed a bunch of scholars to exit the shop after one started vaping inside.
“It appears like there’s not a variety of assist,” Sanchez mentioned.
Krause and Sanchez didn’t learn about Darden’s job with the Motion Staff, however they mentioned Darden typically is available in to order a tea and asks them how the youngsters are behaving.
On a avenue nook in Hampden, simply down the street from ACCE, two staff at Bella Roma shared comparable considerations. They declined to supply their names attributable to considerations they might face retaliation and harm their relationship with the varsity.
Final fall, a child broke a window whereas attempting to kill a bee inside the shop with their foot, one of many staff mentioned. One other time final yr, three youngsters bought in a struggle that led to a “bloody mess” and a damaged desk contained in the restaurant. Some youngsters have grabbed luggage of meals they didn’t order and run out of the shop.
Massive teams even have congregated exterior the door, deterring clients from coming in, the opposite worker mentioned. However that doesn’t occur now as a lot because it used to.
“It’s gotten higher, however I nonetheless suppose there ought to be higher order after they’re set free of college,” the worker mentioned.
Standing simply throughout the road from Bella Roma close to Roosevelt Park on Friday afternoon are two group engagement specialists with We Our Us, one other group concerned within the Secure Passage program. They stand exterior by the bus cease an hour earlier than and after college and mentioned they’ve seen a constructive influence from this system up to now.
One, Jordan Ragin, mentioned he used to see “shady characters” standing round exterior, however not a lot anymore.
“We’re simply right here to verify no unhealthy actions are going down and all people’s secure. That’s what we’re right here for,” he mentioned. They mentioned staff from the varsity additionally hold watch over the realm.
The workers at Bella Roma mentioned representatives from the mayor’s workplace have are available in to talk with them. They mentioned police typically present up after an incident, however not at all times.
‘Extra work stays’
A police division spokesperson mentioned the division “has collaborated with Bella Roma and can proceed to work with them, in addition to with Starbucks, to handle ongoing considerations.”
“Whereas we’re inspired by the lower in crimes round these colleges, we acknowledge that extra work stays in addressing such incidents,” the spokesperson mentioned in an e mail. “These occurrences underscore the essential significance of Secure Passage and the collaborative efforts of all our companions in lowering and stopping student-involved incidents.”
The spokesperson additionally famous that juvenile victims of homicides and non-fatal shootings decreased by 74% in 2024, in comparison with 2023.
Final yr, Secure Passage program leaders laid out a measure of success for this system, saying they’d search for a lower in violence inside a 2-mile radius of faculties, a lower in calls about college students from companies and residents, and a rise in college students’ college attendance. Aggravated assaults and robberies have been among the many information factors being tracked by Baltimore police, metropolis colleges, the mayor’s workplace, and metropolis colleges police.
‘One thing good’
Councilman Mark Conway, who chairs the general public security committee, mentioned he and his council colleagues have acquired complaints about youngsters “inflicting bother” and “security considerations for teenagers.” Their actions typically embody bullying or looting or “hanging out” in shops, he mentioned.
Most children aren’t inflicting issues, Conway mentioned, however there are some who get into bother. Many instances, the presence of an grownup close by can dissipate points like theft or combating amongst friends, he mentioned.
“The concept of this system is to make it possible for youngsters are transferring alongside and that there are further eyes on the road, particularly throughout these essential instances proper earlier than college and proper after college,” he mentioned.
Conway mentioned there’s a necessity for “further help” at different colleges in addition to the handful which are presently concerned in this system. “We wish to work out if that is the method that we wish to broaden to different elements of town, and I feel that information might be an necessary piece,” he mentioned.
Darden mentioned the retailers close to the intersection of Cross and Gentle streets used to have issues with youngsters being of their shops. His purpose is to construct relationships with the youngsters and hold them out of bother.
Along with spending two hours close to the bus cease originally and finish of college every day, he additionally mentors youngsters in the course of the day within the college constructing.
Generally, youngsters name him and inform him they don’t have any meals or that their mother’s boyfriend is mistreating them, he mentioned. He’ll decide them up in his automobile and attempt to discuss to them and calm them down, and perhaps get one thing to eat.
“Mainly, attempt to make them perceive how life goes; all the things is just not going to go your manner,” Darden mentioned.
One scholar he mentored was “stepping into a variety of bother” and was on the lookout for steerage and “a person in his life,” Darden mentioned.
“He didn’t wish to take heed to anybody. After which regularly, we bought him,” he mentioned.
Darden mentioned he was a “DJS child” himself a long time in the past. As an grownup, he’s now serving to youngsters scuffling with comparable challenges.
“If I might stand out right here for all of the fallacious issues I used to be doing,” he mentioned, “I might stand out right here for one thing good.”
Have a information tip? Contact Brooke Conrad at bconrad@baltsun.com, 443-682-2356 or @conrad_brooke on X.
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