Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer and in Baltimore it often means a spike in violent crime.

Jason Johnson, former BPD Deputy Commissioner, says, “If you go back in history and look at Memorial Day weekends in Baltimore there is generally a significantly higher level of violence than other weekends.”

Johnson says the weekend brings large gatherings which in the past have become magnets for violence.

“I think that unfairly a lot of pressure has been put on the police department to be able to essentially predict where violence is going to happen and have the ability to extinguish it before it starts,” said Johnson.

He says in the past BPD has had more resources to increase patrols in certain areas but given the department is currently severely understaffed he says that will be a bigger challenge this year.

The mayor’s youth curfew starts this weekend, which is the city’s newest attempt to prevent violence, especially among teens.

“Trying to implement this juvenile curfew is probably the biggest change in where the police department is putting their resources for this weekend, and I think it’s going to be a fruitless effort,” said Johnson.

Violence has become an unfortunate tradition over Memorial Day weekend in Baltimore.

In 2022, three people died in shootings over the holiday weekend, including a 17-year-old boy.

In 2021, nine people died, and the year before that, eight people lost their lives.

“It’s really difficult for the police department to make a real impact on this type of violence,” said Johnson. “The police would have to know where the violence is going to occur to be able to deploy resources to those areas to try and prevent it.”

Johnson says staffing in the Baltimore Police Department is the worst it’s been in years, and despite recruiting efforts and incentives, the situation doesn’t seem to be improving.

Of course, everyone is hoping this Memorial Day weekend doesn’t end up like years past.