GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY ANNOUNCES HISTORIC REDUCTIONS IN CRIME

Maryland’s total incidents of crime and total crime rate lowest since 1975

Violent crime, homicides and property crime driven down to the lowest levels since 1975

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Martin O’Malley today announced that 2011 year-end crime data compiled by the Maryland State Police and submitted to the FBI for use in the national crime statistics report shows that violent crime, homicides and property crime in Maryland have been driven down to the lowest levels since 1975. Total crime has been driven down 4.6 percent with 9,399 fewer crimes reported compared to 2010. This marks the lowest number of total crimes and total crime rate ever reported in Maryland since the Uniform Crime Reporting program was adopted in 1975.

“Our most solemn obligation is to protect the public’s safety,” said Governor O’Malley. “Working together with our local, state, and federal partners in law enforcement and community and neighborhood leaders across the State, we’ve driven down crime to its lowest levels since 1975. But there is still more work to do as just one life lost to violence is one too many. It takes all of us to make Maryland a safer place for our families and children.”

In 2011, together with the hardworking members of Maryland’s law enforcement, the State drove down the number of homicides by 6.6 percent; incidents of rape by 2.6 percent; robberies by 6.5 percent; aggravated assaults by 10.8 percent; incidents of breaking and entering by 2.5 percent; larceny/theft by 3.1 percent; and motor vehicle thefts by 10.9 percent. Fifteen jurisdictions drove down total crime while 18 jurisdictions drove down specific violent crime categories such as homicide, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Thirteen jurisdictions drove down property crimes such as breaking and entering, larceny/theft, and motor vehicle theft.

The O’Malley-Brown Administration has set strategic goals to reduce crime in Maryland. From 2006 to 2011, Maryland drove down violent crime 24.4 percent –exceeding the Administration’s goal to drive down violent crime by 20 percent by end of 2012. The Administration also set a goal to reduce crimes against women and children by 25 percent by 2012. As of 2011, Maryland has driven down juvenile homicides 36 percent and homicides against women 11.8 percent. Law enforcement officers and public safety professionals throughout Maryland continue to work together to achieve this goal.

“The dramatic reduction in Maryland’s violent crime rate demonstrates the value of a coordinated effort by state, local and federal law enforcement agencies to identify dangerous career criminals and remove them from our community,” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein. “Sending armed felons and violent repeat offenders to prison prevents them from committing crimes, deters others from following in their footsteps and builds public confidence in law enforcement.”

"The 2011 UCR statistics are encouraging and indicative of an ongoing state, local and federal law enforcement partnership which the men and women of the Maryland State Police are proud to be a part of,” said Colonel Marcus Brown, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police. “We continue to benefit from the strong support of the O’Malley-Brown Administration in areas including DNA technology, cross-border information sharing, and interoperable communication that enable Maryland law enforcement to more effectively combat violent crime and make our state safer."

The Administration remains committed to continuing these historic reductions in crime with seamless coordination and consistent information sharing; advances in technology; more effective warrant service, continued focus on violent repeat offenders; and improved supervision of offenders on probation and parole through the Violence Prevention Initiative. Maryland’s inter-state partnerships with public safety counterparts in the District of Columbia, Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New York continue to prove effective in tracking and monitoring violent offenders who move across jurisdictional boundaries. Other tools such as License Plate Readers, automated pawnshop reporting, and the state’s Criminal Justice Dashboard have been instrumental in supporting efforts to fight crime.