Baltimore Metropolitan Council

(SEPTEMBER 22, 1997 - Baltimore) - During the first six months of 1997, there were fewer murders, forcible rapes, robberies, breaking or entering crimes, larceny-theft and motor vehicle thefts in Baltimore City and Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Harford and Howard Counties than there were in the same period in 1996. The Maryland State Police reported a 6.3 percent decline in overall crime throughout the region in statistics released recently.

"For too many years, criminals have used county lines to confound law enforcement and evade capture," said Howard County Executive Charles I. Ecker, who serves as BMC Chair. "The Baltimore Metropolitan Council is working to eliminate that advantage by pooling resources and sharing information. BMC's Board of Directors also supported continued funding for the Vehicle Theft Council."

The number of vehicle thefts in the region declined by 7.9 percent between the first half of 1996 and the first half of 1997. BMC's MetroMapping staff worked closely with Baltimore County Police to develop a computerized mapping system which links the location of a vehicle theft with the recovery location of the same vehicle in a different jurisdiction.

The greatest rate of decline was in forcible rape (-17.6 percent), followed by robbery (-16.0 percent), murder (-12.1 percent) and breaking or entering (also -12.1 percent). The only category in which there was an increase was aggravated assault, up 3.1 percent, from 7,403 incidents to 7,639 incidents.

"These figures are very encouraging," said Paul Farragut, Executive Director of the Baltimore Metropolitan Council. "For the last two years the BMC staff has been working with local law enforcement agencies to help identify patterns of criminal activity and facilitate the exchange of information across county lines. We want to send the message that criminal activity is not welcome in our community, and that we are working closely together to build a safer place for people to live, work and do business."

The Baltimore Metropolitan Council is an organization of the elected executives of Baltimore City and Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and Howard Counties who are committed to identifying regional interests and developing collaborative strategies, plans and programs which will improve the quality of life and economic vitality throughout the region.

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