**Written by Doug Powers

The mayor of the city of Baltimore has asked the Trump administration for help with crime rates that are somehow worse than ever:

Through the first four months of 2017, Baltimore has experienced its highest murder rate in recorded history — and now federal officials are sending in some help.

Mayor Catherine Pugh last week asked for more federal resources to combat the city’s surge in shootings, robberies and carjackings. On Tuesday, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives plans to begin using a gun-tracing van in Baltimore to try to quickly solve gun crimes.
[…]
Baltimore has about 110,000 fewer residents now than in 1993, making this year’s murder rate the highest ever, per capita, through April.

Violent crime is up by 23 percent so far this year in Baltimore compared with last year. Homicides, shootings and robberies have all increased by double-digit percentages.

As crime has spiked, city officials have scrambled for solutions.

The city’s politicians are open to suggestions:

City Councilman Brandon Scott, chairman of the council’s Public Safety Committee, said he welcomed the federal resources.

“Every little bit helps,” Scott said. “It’s clear we have to do things differently. What we’re doing currently isn’t working. The strategy isn’t working.”

He said the city has to “do things differently” and acknowledged that how things have been done haven’t worked, but I’m guessing changing this pattern since 1947 is NOT on the table of things to consider:

And I know what the party Dems would conclude from that: “See! We gave a Republican a chance and obviously he screwed everything up!”

**Written by Doug Powers

Twitter @ThePowersThatBe