Welcome to this Summer Solstice edition of Midday. Today is the longest day of the year, and the official beginning of summer, and for all that summer has to recommend it, it is also a time when crime typically spikes in cities throughout the United States.

Like cities across the country, Baltimore continues to reel from brazen acts of violence in communities across our city. A 15 year-old from Howard County has been arrested and charged with shooting into a crowd at the Inner Harbor over Memorial Day Weekend. One person died and two others were injured. 25 year-old Army Reserve Sergeant Ryan Harris was killed near his apartment on Calvert Street. Trevor White, a 40 year-old bar owner who helped develop communities in East Baltimore as part of ReBuild Metro, was killed in Northeast Baltimore. Three weeks ago, 83 year-old Marjorie Tyson was struck in the arm by a stray bullet while she sat in bed reading.

Over the weekend, five people were killed and 10 were injured.

We are running out of ways to describe this level of mayhem. For years, official after official has described crime in Baltimore as “out of control,” as voters elect them, time after time, on their promises to control it.

Tom's Newsmaker guest today is Baltimore City Police Commissioner Michael S. Harrison. He was appointed as our city’s top cop in 2019 after successfully overseeing a decrease in crime as the police chief in his native city of New Orleans.

Commissioner Harrison joins us regularly to let us know what the police are doing to address the problems that according to a recent poll are the top concern of 90% of our citizens.

To reach the Baltimore City Police Department's Illegal Dirt Bikes Tip Line, call: 443-902-4474.