I had a tw200 stolen from my parking pad after I lived in the city for a few years (although I sort of suspect it was my neighbor who was moving out and not hood kids, but who knows). My cruiser has sat in the parking pad for years and nobody stole it. I don't think cruisers are of much interest to the people who steal motorcycles in the city.

If you're looking for something cheap you can buy a used cruiser or a cheap new Japanese cruiser. Have insurance on it so if it gets stolen your insurance pays out (might take a while because Baltimore police suck so badly). You can pick up a vstar 250 new for probably around 5k. Or if you want something that's basically like a big scooter look for a used TU250X. These style of bikes aren't what I think most thieves in the city are looking for.