Baltimore County, MD County Archive, 8 Mar 2010

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From YouTube: Crime Stats 2010

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Release of 2009 Final Crime Statistics

Towson, Md. (March 8, 2010) — Today, Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith held a press conference to announce the decline in crime across Baltimore County. With Baltimore County Police Chief Jim Johnson and State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger by his side, Smith proclaimed impressive drops in serious crimes including motor vehicle theft and robbery, which both dropped significantly for the entire year compared to 2008.

2009 Crime Decreased Significantly

Crime in 2009 decreased significantly compared to crime of 2008. Most impressively, of the eight serious crime categories, six have seen a decrease. Arson has decreased by 22.8 percent, motor vehicle theft by 16.5 percent, robbery by 14.7 percent, aggravated assault by four percent, burglary by 2.5 percent, and theft by 0.4 percent.

"In addition to our decrease in crime, the Baltimore County Police Department is maintaining a clearance rate of 75 percent for violent crime and 78.1 percent for homicides," said Smith.

"Let me be clear what this statistic means to criminals: when a crime is committed in Baltimore County, you will be caught, you will be prosecuted, and you will go to jail."

Crime Has Been Reduced

Police Chief Jim Johnson said, "Crime has been reduced because of the dedicated and hard working officers in the field, advances in technology, partnerships, community involvement, and because of the passionate leadership of Baltimore County."

Hard Work and Dedication

"The hard work and dedication of the men and women of the Baltimore County Police Department are part of the reason we see the crime numbers continuing to drop," said Scott Shellenberger. "The decrease in crime is also due to the quality of the cases the Police Department brings to my office."

A

Bc up front, I wonder if you could give the people in baltimore county just a quick overview in terms of where the trends are heading.

B

Well, the trends are heading down, which is a very good thing: over a violent crime in baltimore county dropped, seven and a half percent over last year, and actually it dropped last year and it dropped the year before so I mean this is a drop on top of two two significant drops and it's been actually declining for a number of years, uh and so that's violent crime.

B

Overall crime dropped almost as much 7.4 and it you know it's really a testament to the the talent of the baltimore county police department, the leadership that they have and all and also the commitment that the people of baltimore county have made to public safety. I mean they have supported the funding of the police department. The county council has supported the funding of the police department and we've added a lot of additional technology, which is going a long way to enabling modern public safety to really address the criminal element in our community.

A

Chief, that's a great segue, the executive talks about technology, and you certainly made that a focus of your remarks tell us a little bit about what you mean in terms of how technology is beginning to make a real difference for the people of baltimore county.

C

Well, don, certainly technology's taking its place in law enforcement here in baltimore, county and across the nation today we're much more efficient and much more effective. Now I want to highlight to your viewers, though citizens that are stepping forward helping us, dr henry taryngel, who I mentioned today without compensation he's bringing his technology expertise to baltimore county, frank colada, the police foundation president. This is a great resource for baltimore county to use to make our community safer. Thank you, chief.

A

Councilman cabinets uh you were at the press conference today and certainly several years ago you were an advocate for cameras in shopping centers in baltimore county. We heard today that's actually becoming a very effective tool morning, as you look back. What's your reaction to seeing that tool actually being in place now? Well, I'm.

D

Pleased that the law that I created is now having an impact, and this law of course, mandates security cameras in the public parking areas of our major shopping centers and we're seeing other businesses step up to the plate. To also have video surveillance of their public areas. Crime is now down as a result of this law in our major shopping centers, and it's also becoming a tool for the police to catch criminals and solve crimes.

D

So I think it's it's a good law and I'm I'm really pleased with the progress we've made and I look forward to future uh thoughtful ways to to address crime.

E

Well, I'm very happy to to be celebrating this this moment of uh really historic lows in in crime, particularly violent crime. You know a prosecutor is only as good as uh the evidence the police department brings to us and lately what the police have been bringing are good quality cases that allow us to get convictions and, frankly, put violent bad guys in jail. Some of the technology that's out there now is is just incredible.

E

The dna technology that's available in in not only homicide cases but rape cases, in other cases, the use of forensic technology, and that is cell phones that give us a tremendous amount of information about these defendants.

E

The police now are grabbing computers, we're downloading things off of computers, just the amount of technology that's available. Now that make police work so much better and frankly, you know, pin these defendants down so much better.

E

It's allowing my prosecutors to go in court, ask for very lengthy sentences and we're getting them and- and, as I said earlier, it's really a simple fact: you get caught, you go to jail and if I get a lengthy sentence, then you're not out on the street reoffending, and we appreciate the work of the men, men and women of the baltimore county police.

E

Department you.