BALTIMORE, Md. (AP) — City officials in Baltimore are expressing concern about a spike in robberies as police continue to battle an escalating rate of violent crime.
The Baltimore Sun report that the city has recorded 714 robberies so far this year, an increase of almost 25% from 573 robberies recorded for the same period last year.
Officials report that robberies of convenience stores have jumped 300%, with more than 80 so far this year.
The spike in robberies comes as Baltimore police also face an increase in the city’s homicide rate.
Seventy-six people have been killed so far this year, up from 65 in the same period last year.
Another 156 people have been injured in shootings, up from 115 in the corresponding period. The city has reported more than 300 homicides each year since 2015.
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