Crime & Safety

Police Report Crime Drop, But Assaults With Guns Jump 52 Percent

Anne Arundel County Police reported a 7 percent drop in crime in 2010, but said attacks involving guns rose 52 percent.

The Anne Arundel County Police Department reported a 7 percent reduction in major crime in 2010, though officials remain concerned about the number of violent crimes, especially those involving guns.

The county saw a significant drop in major property-related crimes, including a 7-percent drop in burglary, 9-percent decline in larceny and 26-percent drop in arson.

But instances of aggravated assault rose from 1,903 to 2,003, with a 52-percent jump in the number of assaults involving a gun.

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“We are going to have to look heavy at the gun issue,” Maj. Thomas Wilson said. “When we saw that [52 percent] number pop up, that is certainly a concern for us.”

Reported cases of rape increased from 87 to 106, while homicide cases also rose from 12 to 14. All cases of violent crime rose from 2,666 to 2,693.

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Motor vehicle thefts, meanwhile, rose from 1,047 to 1,119.

Overall, county police officers responded to 208,685 calls for service in 2010, continuing a trend of yearly declines. Including major and minor incidents, the department reported 57,108 total cases in 2010, down from 59,211 in 2009 and more than 7,000 fewer than five years ago.

“It’s good news for all of us,” Wilson said. “We’re doing everything we can to emphasize those specific crimes that we think we can have a significant impact on.”

The police department touted the success of its Police Response Organized to Eliminate Crime Trends (PROTECT) program, which has focused on reducing the instances of five distinct crimes: thefts from automobiles, commercial and street robberies, and commercial and residential burglaries. Officers said those particular crimes were targeted because most perpetrators are repeat offenders.

“Those are the crimes that we feel we can impact the best and have the best luck in attacking those crimes because the offenders that do them aren’t going to stop at one,” Wilson said.

Police said crime was generally down all over the county, but said reductions were particularly sharp in the western district, pointing specifically to a 44 percent reduction in robberies.

Wilson said the Route 2 corridor remains a busy area for officers, along with Maryland City and sections of Glen Burnie.

Looking forward into 2011, police officials said they will continue to focus on reducing burglaries, robberies and thefts from cars, while keeping an eye on activity from gangs, including the Bloods and DMI.


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