Baltimore Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III is firing back at the had of the City Council's Public Safety Committee, Bernard C. "Jack" Young, for comments he made during Wednesday night's hearing on the police budget. Young, questioning whether a spike in crime can be attributed to budget cuts, called last year's drop in murders lucky.

That drew Bealefeld's spokesman, Anthony Guglielmi, to issue this statement:

"On behalf of the men and women of the Baltimore Police Department I am disappointed with the remarks made by Councilman Bernard "Jack" Young during last night's hearing as they pertain to last year's murder reduction. While I recognize that many factors go into the rate of murders in any city, it is wrong to imply or proclaim that the incredibly dedicated work of over 3,000 sworn and civilian members of the Baltimore Police Department was a result of "luck".

"Furthermore, many other devoted people are working to make Baltimore safer, the Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office, U.S. Attorney's Office, Maryland Parole and Probation, Safe Streets Program, University Hospital's VIP initiative, the NAACP, city schools, countless youth violence prevention initiatives, local clergy, and countless number of citizens and community associations across this great city.

"The men and women of the Baltimore Police Department did not and do not succeed on our own - but their work and devotion can not and must not be written off or attributed to luck."