Mayoral candidate Sheila Dixon, State's Attorney Ivan Bates address crime concerns in Fed Hill

BALTIMORE - Baltimore mayoral candidate Sheila Dixon and State's Attorney Ivan Bates walked through the Federal Hill community to address public safety.

Dixon, who had served as Baltimore's mayor from 2007 to 2010, received an e ndorsement from Thiru Vignarajah , who dropped out of the race the day before Maryland early voting starts.

Residents and business owners addressed their concerns with Dixon and Bates over crime concerns, including carjackings and robberies in Federal Hill.

"Safety is the No. 1 thing," said Taylor Schwartz, executive director of Federal Hill Main Street.

Schwartz works with 250 local businesses in the neighborhood each day and says safety is not an option.

"Our small businesses, most of them are putting their savings, their retirement, on the line to bring these resources to the community, and so having that safety, it's what ensures they can be here long term," Schwartz said.

Schwartz's office was a stop along the way for Bates, who spent Wednesday afternoon meeting business owners and residents in Fed Hill to discuss crime efforts.

"We recognize what's going on," Bates said. "The quality of life crimes that's been happening, we want the community to have the support."

Police say in the past five months, there have been at least 65 reports of criminal activity in Federal Hill, mostly carjackings, car thefts and robberies.

"221 of our 278 communities in this city, crime is going up," Dixon said.

Bates promised change to the neighborhood.

Schwartz says when it's crucial to curb crime.

"Having that safety, it's what ensures they can be here long-term, because they're putting their own sweat equity into these businesses," Schwartz said.

Bates says he is watching the statistics and numbers of every neighborhood in the city as he creates a plan to tackle the crime.