Open-air drug markets remain a fixture in Baltimore, from Penn North to a quiet corner of Northeast Baltimore . Residents say the city’s approach to enforcement and prevention has left them wondering who’s really in control.

Despite City Hall touting public-health strategies and police reporting thousands of foot patrols, residents in multiple neighborhoods describe daily drug dealing in plain view and little visible enforcement to deter it. Three mass overdoses since July sharpened concerns, yet community leaders say conditions on the ground haven’t changed, raising questions about how the city measures progress, deploys officers, and balances harm-reduction with basic public safety.

At Yorkewood Apartments, in what appears to be a peaceful Northeast Baltimore community, there’s a s

See Full Page