BALTIMORE (WBFF) -- As gun violence continues to ravage cities across the country, including at a record pace here in Baltimore, there's new calls for immediate action to stop the bloodshed.
 

After an especially violence weekend in Washington D.C., this week Mayor Muriel Bowser took the immediate step of freeing up more resources for police to maintain public safety.
 

In a tweet, the Mayor said she was directing the District's police force to "use any overtime necessary" to meeting public safety needs.
 

"Especially when you're seeing more and more crime, it's more and more urgent that we have people on patrol or doing investigations," said Sean Kennedy, a visiting fellow at the Maryland Public Policy Institute.
 

While Kennedy says the move by D.C.'s Mayor shows urgent action in wake of a violent crime crisis, doubling down on overtime may only be a band-aid for a much bigger issue.
 

"Relying on overtime is not a sustainable solution," Kennedy said. "Eventually it catches up to you when there's not enough officers to do enough overtime to staff the police department as needed."
 

In Baltimore, overtime for police has been a necessity in recent years at the department continues to face staffing shortages.
 

However, city leaders have often been critical of the amount money BPD has spend on overtime in years past, which often goes over budget.
 

According to Baltimore Police, an estimated $32 million dollars has been budgeted for overtime in fiscal year 2021.
 

FOX45 News reached out to Mayor Brandon Scott to see if he would support more overtime spending for the department in wake of the current violence plaguing the city, he's yet to respond to our questions.
 

In Baltimore, overtime for police has been a necessity in recent years at the department continues to face staffing shortages.
 

However, city leaders have often been critical of the amount money BPD has spend on overtime in years past, which often goes over budget.
 

According to Baltimore Police, an estimated $32 million dollars has been budgeted for overtime in fiscal year 2021.
 

FOX45 News reached out to Mayor Brandon Scott to see if he would support more overtime spending for the department in wake of the current violence plaguing the city, he's yet to respond to our questions.