Baltimore Prosecutor Ends Direct Coordination with Mayoral Violence Office
Baltimore City State's Attorney Ivan Bates informed Mayor Brandon Scott on December 3 that his office will "terminate" direct coordination with the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, citing a lack of transparency and a "cloak of secrecy." Bates said his office will still prosecute cases brought by Baltimore Police, including those designated under the Group Violence Reduction Strategy, but will no longer work directly within the mayoral office's CVI framework.
Baltimore's top prosecutor took an unusual step this week, notifying the mayor that the State's Attorney's Office will cease direct coordination with the mayoral anti violence office. In a seven page letter delivered December 3, Ivan Bates cited concerns about oversight and the internal operation of the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, known as MONSE, and said the office will "terminate" direct coordination because of what he described as a "cloak of secrecy."
Bates was careful to draw a line between his decision on coordination and the core duties of prosecution. He said his office will continue to pursue charges brought by Baltimore Police, including those tied to the Group Violence Reduction Strategy that MONSE oversees through the city violence intervention program known as CVI. That preservation of prosecutorial responsibility frames the move as a withdrawal from joint planning and operational integration rather than a refusal to enforce the law.
MONSE has been a central actor in the city effort to reduce shootings and homicides through outreach, prevention and coordination with police and community partners. The abrupt halt in direct coordination highlights tensions among the institutions tasked with public safety, and raises questions about how data sharing, case preparation and cross agency response will proceed in the coming weeks.
For residents, the change may be felt in the cadence of joint meetings, the flow of information between investigators and prosecutors, and the design of interventions aimed at interrupting violence. Community groups that work with MONSE and the State's Attorney's Office may face confusion about who to contact for program referrals or case updates, while defense attorneys and victims advocates will watch for any procedural shifts that affect charging decisions or diversion options.
City officials now confront the challenge of restoring clear lines of accountability and communication if the broader anti violence strategy is to remain coordinated. The decision underscores the fragile balance between city government offices that use different tools and authorities to pursue the same public safety goal. How the mayoral office responds, and whether the two sides will resume a structured partnership, will determine whether the setback is a temporary disruption or a deeper realignment of Baltimore's approach to violence reduction.
