"It's a new approach for the Harford County Sheriff's Office," Bane said. "It appears as though it has paid off." The state is on pace to dip below 500 killings for the first time since 2001, and officials said the rate of improvement has increased in the second half of the year. As of yesterday, homicides were down 17 percent statewide compared with the same period last year, Mahoney said.
She noted a 10 percent decline in vehicle thefts as a particular achievement. Stolen cars declined 15 percent in Prince George's County, 14 percent in Baltimore County and 10 percent in Baltimore City in the first half of the year. Those jurisdictions have historically struggled with auto thefts.
Counties on the fast-growing Eastern Shore saw an 8 percent increase in total crime, including a doubling of homicides from 10 to 20, and a 9.2 percent increase in property crimes. The two counties that experienced the largest increases in total crime in Maryland - Kent and Cecil counties - are on the Eastern Shore.
