Arguing that Baltimore prosecutors are too quick to drop cases, Gov. Larry Hogan said Wednesday he was directing Attorney General Brian Frosh to step in and prosecute more crimes in the city.

In a letter to Frosh, Hogan said he was directing the attorney general’s office to prosecute more violent crimes, gun crimes and organized crime in Baltimore as a way to try to get longer sentences for offenders.

The governor blamed city prosecutors who drop cases and reach “excessively lenient plea deals.”

“Far too often in Baltimore city, violent offenders get a slap on the wrist and are released back out on the streets to commit another violent offense,” wrote Hogan, a Republican, to Frosh, a Democrat.

Frosh did not respond to a request for comment. Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby, a Democrat who oversees city prosecutors, also did not respond to a request for comment.

The governor specifically asked Frosh to prosecute criminal cases from upcoming “warrant initiatives” the Maryland State Police have planned to target violent offenders in Baltimore.

The governor said he has asked state police to “dramatically increase the execution of high priority warrants for violent offenders.”

Hogan’s letter did not come with more state resources to prosecute more cases.

Baltimore has suffered from four consecutive years of more than 300 homicides annually. The last time Baltimore had fewer than 200 homicides was 2011, when Hogan’s predecessor, Martin O’Malley, was governor and Stephanie Rawlings-Blake was mayor.