Baltimore County Police: Crime Overall Decreasing

Baltimore County officials announced Wednesday that crime has dropped in their jurisdiction, as the population has increased.

In 2014, crime in Baltimore County dropped by 7.2 percent compared with crime rates from the previous five-year period, the Baltimore County Police Department reported.

“Our police department has surpassed my expectations when it comes to crime reduction,” County Executive Kevin Kamenetz said in a statement. “Some categories of crime have fallen to levels not seen since the 1980s.”

Violent crime—which includes homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault—fell by 6.1 percent, with the greatest reduction in the Essex precinct, where there was an 11.9 percent drop, according to the report.

The reported reductions in violent crime came as the population grew in Baltimore County, officials noted.

The population in Baltimore County was 826,925 in 2014, compared with 804,973 in 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau—a 2.7 percent increase.

Baltimore County Police Chief Jim Johnson said the department’s ability to reduce crime was a testament to the power of constant monitoring; support from the county executive; and ”of course, the talent and dedication of our detectives, patrol officers and community outreach officers.”

The department noted that its data was compiled in accordance with FBI reporting standards, police said in a statement.

While the department highlighted its reductions in crime over a five-year period, the number of homicides in the county increased year-over-year, from 20 homicides in 2013 to 25 in 2014, according to the report.

See the full report here from Baltimore County.