In Baltimore, Smith became one of the most recognizable voices in the department on a range of issues, from the trials of the officers in the Gray case, to the U.S. Justice Department’s findings that the department practiced unconstitutional and discriminatory policing, to a subsequent federal consent decree mandating sweeping reforms. Smith also spoke for the agency as the corrupt Gun Trace Task Force was exposed, and addressed stubbornly high levels of violence in recent years — with each year since 2015 ending with more than 300 homicides.