Homicides in Baltimore County fell to a 19-year low last year, and crime in every other category also dropped significantly, police said yesterday. It was the third consecutive year that crime has declined in the county.
Violent crime -- a category that includes homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault -- dropped by 16.3 percent in 1998 compared to 1997, according to police statistics. Overall, crime declined by 7.6 percent.
No single reason emerges for the decrease, which mirrors a national trend.
Police Chief Terrence B. Sheridan credited cooperation among citizens, businesses, police and the judicial system.
"You can't put your finger on one thing," Sheridan said yesterday. "Baltimore County has a diverse population, diverse terrain -- from urban to suburban to rural,. Good police work, cooperation with business and citizens we couldn't do this without all the links in place."
The most dramatic decrease occurred in bank robberies, which fell by 71.2 percent compared to 1997, an unusually high year.
"In 1997, it went up -- 1997 was the anomaly," Sheridan said. There were 129 bank robberies in 1997, he said, compared with 36 bank robberies in 1998.
The overall crime rate fell in every precinct last year, with decreases ranging from 3.2 percent in Essex to 11.1 in Cockeysville.
Police reported an increase in assaults on officers, from 816 in 1997 to 892 in 1998, which Sheridan attributed to increased numbers of officers on patrol. "We have more officers than ever involved in street-level police work," he said.
Calls for service also declined to 467,190 last year from 473,762 in 1997, police said.
1998 statistics Crime 1998 1997 % Change
Homicide 22 23 -4.3
Rape 223 254 -12.2
Robbery 1,876 2,477 -24.3
Aggravated assault 3,984 4,544 -12.3
Total violent crime 6,105 7,298 -16.3
Breaking and entering 6,880 7,136 -3.6
Theft 22,989 25,281 -9.1
Motor vehicle theft 3,343 4,147 -19.4
Arson 350 364 -3.8
Total property crime 33,562 36,928 -9.1
Pub Date: 3/25/99
