Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake gave her last State of the City address Monday afternoon, saying she is confident that Baltimore is stronger today than it was when she took office in 2010.
She thanked residents for allowing her to serve 21 years, as both mayor and on the Baltimore City Council before that.
The mayor, who is not seeking re-election, said said during her tenure, she created the city's first 10-year financial plan, doubled its budget for homeless shelters and has seen Baltimore's unemployment rate drop by a third.
Those were just some of the accomplishments the mayor touted during the speech, the seventh one she has given during her time in office.
Rawlings-Blake acknowledged that 2015 was "challenging," noting the riots over the death of Freddie Gray last April that propelled the city into the national spotlight. But she thanked the police and the first responders who helped restore order, and said Baltimore's story is one of resilience.
Police reform is necessary, Rawlings-Blake said, adding that all city officers will begin wearing body cameras this spring, and new officers will spend their first 90 days on the force on foot patrol.
The culture of violence must end, Rawlings-Blake said.
She said the problem of young African-American men killing young African-American men is not something that policing alone can solve.
Download the ABC2 News app for the iPhone, Kindleand Android.
