There have been 151 murders in the first half of this year.

Baltimore’s Police Commissioner Michael Harrison has announced his strategy to cut down on violent crime in the city.

Harrison says officers will focus on “microzones,” which are small areas around the city that are just a couple of blocks wide. However, critics say they’ve heard it all before.

This is a similar strategy that past commissioners have used. For instance, under former commissioner Darryl DeSousa, there was “hot spot policing”.

Harrison says they’ve come up with these zones based on data that shows them where the majority of violent crime is happening. Under this plan, officers will patrol these microzones on foot for about 20 minutes and do this for three times during their shift.

But some residents are still a bit skeptical.

“Is it really handling the issue or is the problem just moving on, giving us the thought that it’s being handled?” asked barbershop owner Bernard Dutton.

Harrison says, “Officers are very often in the right places and at the right times, but violent crimes are being committed anyway, which speaks to a certain culture of violence where criminals do not fear any possible consequences from the criminal justice system.”

The police union sent out a statement in response to Harrison’s plan. They also voiced their skepticism about these microzones.

They say, “Less police officers and more zones to cover clearly means a thinly stretched Patrol Division.”

Harrison says these microzones are only one part of his larger, more comprehensive crime reduction plan. He says he’s working with the city state’s attorney and they must submit their plan to the state no later than August 1.