Bates, Scott need to find a way to work together

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On December 2, 2025, Baltimore State’s Attorney Ivan Bates authored a seven-page letter with 13 supporting exhibits to Mayor Brandon Scott officially terminating any “further direct coordination with the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE), which, according to Scott, came as a surprise. The MONSE program is a city agency that was established by Scott aimed at reducing gun violence and promoting public health. While Scott cites his comprehensive approach, which includes the institution of the MONSE Program, as a reason for the significant decrease in violent crimes in the city, Bates cites a lack of transparency, concerns about funding, and victim services as some of the reasons for terminating the relationship with the MONSE Program.

In his letter to the mayor, Bates expressed concerns of how certain juvenile cases are handled in a diversionary manner and without considering victim’s right’s while handling these cases. For example, Bates explains that when a case is handled through a subprogram of MONSE entitled the SideStep program, accused individuals are offered a diversionary option while victims are left precluded from seeking restitution for certain property crimes.

Bates also, in detail, voices concerns for transparency as it relates to funding for the MONSE program and its subprograms. As support for his positions terminating the relationship between the State’s Attorney’s Office and the MONSE program, Bates refers to Md Crimal Code § 15-102 indicating that the MONSE Program interferes with the State’s legal obligations to “prosecute and defend, on the part of the State, all cases which the State may be issued and to “protect victims’, witness’ and defendants’ rights with they are entitled.”

In a written response to Bates’ notice of termination, Scott expressed shock and urged reconsideration for the decision, arguing for crucial collaboration for continued reduced violence in the city. More specifically, the Mayor called the decision to end the relationship with MONSE abrupt and inexplicable, nonetheless said that his response was simple that (Bates) would “reconsider the termination.” In support of his request, Scott says that the city is in a much better position with respect to violent crime and further states that he will not allow anything to distract him from the goal of continuing the reduction.

Since the beginning of 2025, Baltimore has seen substantial reductions in all major violent crimes compared to 2024.  In fact, the city is on pace to see the lowest homicide rate since 1977, which Scott credits to the MONSE program that includes Baltimore’s Group Violence Reduction Strategy (GVRS). In his letter, Scott even released the findings of research conducted by Dr. Daniel Webster of Johns Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health, which concluded that a subprogram of the MONSE program, Safe Streets, was associated with a statistically significant 23% decrease in shootings. While Scott admits that the MONSE program is not perfect, he beseeches Bates to realize that continued success is not guaranteed without the collaboration of all moving counterparts.

Since the termination of the relationship with MONSE, Bates has doubled down on his decision by releasing an independent review conducted by Kramon & Graham, which concluded that the decision was justified. On the other hand, Scott subsequently issued the city’s own legal response conducted by Tara A Barnes, Managing Partner at Rollins, Smalkin, Richards & Mackie LLC, which concluded, among other things, that Bates’ concerns about risk associated with MONSE were “rhetorically compelling but legally misplaced.” Barnes further concludes in her expert opinion that “any conclusion that the SAO must terminate its partnership with MONSE is “neither legally required nor factually justified,” to which Bates responded with “sounds like I’ll see the mayor in Court.”

Whether either the mayor or the state’s attorney’s independent review of the termination of the MONSE program is accurate, one thing is certain and that is the significant reduction in violent crime in Baltimore City since the implementation of programs, policy and collaboration between the mayor and the state’s attorney and that cannot and must not be ignored.

It seems to us that it would be constructive for the mayor and state’s attorney to agree on, and benefit from, the services of a skilled and impartial mediator. The importance of the issue demands as much.

In April of last year, this board urged both Bates and Scott to bury their hatchet, place their pride to the side, and to have a candid conversation about violent crime reduction and we again urge the two to do the same for the sake of the city.

Editorial Advisory Board Members Gary E. Bair, Arthur F. Fergenson and George Liebmann did not participate in this opinion.

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS

James B. Astrachan, Chair

Gary E. Bair

Arthur F. Fergenson

Nancy Forster

Susan Francis

Julie C. Janofsky

Ericka N. King

George Liebmann

George Nilson

Steven I. Platt

Angela W. Russell

Debra G. Schubert

Jeff Sovern

H. Mark Stichel

The Daily Record Editorial Advisory Board is composed of members of the legal profession who serve voluntarily and are independent of The Daily Record. Through their ongoing exchange of views, members of the board attempt to develop consensus on issues of importance to the bench, bar and public. When their minds meet, unsigned opinions will result. When they differ, or if a conflict exists, majority views and the names of members who do not participate will appear. Members of the community are invited to contribute letters to the editor and/or columns about opinions expressed by the Editorial Advisory Board.