Can Baltimore Afford Not to Call in the National Guard?

YHTL Contributor
Aug 31
2 min read

Baltimore has survived decades of challenges, but a hard truth remains: open-air drug markets, violent crime, and visible disorder dominate too many corners of the city. Lexington Market, North and Pennsylvania avenues, gas stations like Reisterstown and Belvedere, and the blocks around drug treatment centers have all become symbols of a problem that feels endless.

So the question is: what happens when the police department is no longer big enough to meet the moment?

Baltimore’s officer shortage is not speculation—it’s fact. The department is down hundreds of officers, forcing those still serving to work longer shifts, cover larger areas, and fight burnout. If officers are stretched this thin, how can they be expected to handle both violent crime and the everyday enforcement needed to keep neighborhoods safe?

And if the police can’t do it alone, who can step in?

Could the National Guard play a stabilizing role, not as an occupying force, but as a stopgap? If Guard units were posted at predictable hot spots—Lexington Market, Pennsylvania Avenue, high-traffic gas stations—would that not deter dealers and violence? Would freeing up police officers from these posts allow them to focus on investigations, targeted operations, and community engagement?

What about the areas around drug treatment centers? How can we say we’re serious about recovery if we allow dealers to openly prey on those walking into clinics? Wouldn’t a Guard presence provide the buffer these centers need to function as places of healing instead of hunting grounds?

Some will ask: won’t the Guard make the city feel militarized? But isn’t the city already living in a form of occupation—one where fear dictates whether families shop, walk, or even leave their homes? Which is worse: soldiers at key intersections, or the steady drumbeat of crime driving residents and businesses away?

And if not this, then what? If not now, then when?

The Guard is not a permanent fix. But could it be a bridge—a temporary reinforcement—while Baltimore recruits more officers, invests in prevention, and rebuilds trust between law enforcement and communities?

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