Property Crimes

Violent and property crime increased 4.5 percent in Carroll County last year, and state police attributed the rise to several factors, including population growth and heroin-driven thefts."

Violent and property crime increased 4.5 percent in Carroll County last year, and state police attributed the rise to several factors, including population growth and heroin-driven thefts."

Robberies in Howard County rose about 63 percent in the first half of this year, and police said yesterday that it will take time for the 4-month-old robbery unit to have an impact.The surge in robberies contributed to a 28.6 percent increase in violent crime in the first half of the year compared with the same period last year, according to new police statistics. Property crimes increased 2.8 percent.Some community leaders expressed concern, saying the county should be in line with the statewide trend of decreased crime.

Nearly all types of crime fell in 1998 in Howard County, and police say they will take added steps to reduce false perceptions of high crime and address seemingly minor offenses.Police said yesterday that the total number of violent crimes -- homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault -- decreased nearly 22 percent compared with 1997, from 545 to 427, despite increases in homicides and rapes. The county police compiled the statistics.Property crimes -- burglary, theft and motor vehicle theft -- dropped 16.6 percent, from 8,694 to 7,249.

Overall crime increased slightly in Anne Arundel County and Annapolis last year because of a significant rise in violent-crime rates, according to statistics released by both police departments yesterday.In the county, where violent crimes -- which include homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault -- increased 7.6 percent, total crime rose 5.1 percent. In the city, where violent crimes jumped 13.7 percent, total crime increased 1.5 percent.The numbers looked bleak, but both jurisdictions said crime statistics showed improvement compared with 1995.

Violent crime in Baltimore County fell 2.5 percent during the first nine months of 1997 compared with the corresponding period last year, a decrease that authorities attribute to crime-fighting programs involving police, residents and business owners.The drop in murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault accompanied a dip of 1.2 percent in all crimes reported, according to police statistics released this week.That decline, along with an increase in arrests for robbery and burglary, can be traced to better cooperation between police departments and between police and residents, county police Chief Terrence B. Sheridan said.

While violent crime in Howard County showed only a slight increase last year, the number of juvenile and white-collar crimes shot up 1996, according to annual crime statistics released by county police yesterday.Violent crimes, defined as murder, rape and robbery, rose sharply in the first half of 1996 -- 77 percent above the same period in 1995 -- but the rate of increase slowed drastically in the second half of year.Final statistics show an increase of 2.3 percent, a rise of only 14 incidents -- from 608 in 1995 to 622 in 1996.

Violent crimes in Baltimore County fell 6.1 percent for the first half of the year, a decrease the police chief attributes to strong cooperation between police, residents and business owners.Although the overall crime rate was flat, homicides were down by nearly half and rape declined by 16 percent compared with the same period in 1996, according to six-month statistics released yesterday. Robbery dropped 11 percent and aggravated assault fell more than 2 percent."I think it's a direct reflection of the partnership between communities, businesses and police," Chief Terrence B. Sheridan said.

Violent crime is showing a sharp drop in Howard County this year, even though assaults by youths are skyrocketing, according to statistics released yesterday.Property crimes increased significantly, especially burglaries in western Howard and west Columbia.Police attributed the drop in violent offenses, which include robberies and aggravated assaults, to more targeted crime-fighting, including the recent designation of Long Reach as a crime "hot spot.""The decrease was the result of enforcement, making the public more aware of dangers," said Sgt. Steven E. Keller, spokesman for Howard County police.

Though fewer car thefts, burglaries and arsons occurred in Baltimore County during the first nine months of this year, violent crimes such as robbery, rape and homicide increased slightly during the period, according to police data released yesterday.Overall, violent crime increased 0.7 percent in the first nine months of this year, compared with the same period last year.Rape increased 11.7 percent, robbery increased 3 percent, and the number of homicides rose from 25 to 27 cases. Aggravated assaults declined 1.1 percent, dropping from 3,668 to 3,628.

In some places, it's rare to hear "crime" and "good news" spoken in the same breath. Not, apparently, in Baltimore County. For 13 years, county officials have been able to point to steady, if not always huge, declines in most acts of crime. That's something to crow about, and the county executive, James T. Smith Jr., wasted no time Tuesday in doing just that, proclaiming "impressive drops" in most so-called serious crimes in the first six months of this year, compared with the corresponding period in 2008.

With homicides down by nearly a third, Anne Arundel County saw a small drop in overall violent crime in 2007. But property crimes, fueled largely by shoplifting and auto thefts, propelled an overall increase in serious crimes over the previous year, statistics released by the Police Department show. Thefts increased 10 percent to 12,048. Each of the four police districts saw a bump, though the increase was more pronounced in the Northern and Western districts, where the increases were 13.8 percent and 15.5 percent, respectively.

Shortly after he welcomed the city's newest class of officers with handshakes and pictures during a commencement ceremony yesterday, Baltimore Police Commissioner Leonard D. Hamm spoke glowingly of a recent decline in killings on the city streets those officers are to protect. On Thursday, for the first time this year, the number of homicides was smaller than at the corresponding time last year, 115 compared with 117. In late April, there had been 12 more killings than in late April 2005, and violent crime was up 13 percent.

The crime-averse O'Malley administration had to admit last week that, so far this year, crime is up over last year. The 4 percent overall increase represented upticks in nearly all categories of crime - including murder - and in all but three of the city's nine police districts. That's pretty much an across-the-board sweep, and some districts saw double-digit spikes in violent crimes. The numbers are, of course, worrisome, but a snapshot of crime in February showed even steeper increases.

Damon Booze's barbershop in Waverly has been broken into twice in the past several months, with thieves stealing a candy machine and his clippers. He erected a 7-foot-tall wooden wall to protect the rear of his North Baltimore shop. In Southeast Baltimore, residents and developers are fending off an onslaught of property crimes - the result, police say, of people in revitalized neighborhoods attracting crimes of opportunity. Nearly five months into the year, the Police Department is grappling with stubborn spates of violence and property crimes in six of the city's nine police districts.

Crime in Howard County increased slightly during the first nine months of this year, compared with the same period last year, according to the quarterly crime report released this week. The number of violent crimes - homicides, robberies, rapes and aggravated assaults - rose by 14, to 451, while property crimes, such as thefts and burglaries, rose by 339, to 5,394. Police stressed, however, that the crime statistics reflect only reported crimes and that small changes in such a short period should not be considered trends.

Homicides and property crimes in Howard County have hit their lowest levels in five years, but juvenile violent-crime arrests have continued to climb, according to police statistics released yesterday. The county has had one homicide since Jan. 1, compared with six for the same period last year, according to statistics for the first nine months of the year. Fewer property crimes occurred in all categories - burglary, theft and stolen automobiles - that led to an overall decline of 2.3 percent through September.

Certain types of violent crime in Howard County increased slightly in the first half of the year, but the homicide rate and the number of property crimes were lower than during the comparable period last year, according to figures released yesterday by the county Police Department. The figures showed that there were 105 robberies from January to June - 13 more than the same time a year ago. The number of aggravated assaults rose to 144 - 24 more than during the corresponding period last year.

Certain types of violent crime in Howard County increased slightly in the first half of the year, but the homicide rate and the number of property crimes were lower than during the comparable period last year, according to figures released yesterday by the county Police Department. The figures showed that there were 105 robberies from January to June -- 13 more than the same time a year ago. The number of aggravated assaults rose to 144 -- 24 more than during the corresponding period last year.

Violent crime in Howard County jumped 18 percent last year as the Police Department handled more assaults and robberies, but the overall crime rate declined slightly - by 3 percent - fueled by a drop in property crimes, police said. Rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults increased last year while the number of homicides remained unchanged at seven, according to police statistics released yesterday. Burglaries declined 11 percent and thefts dropped 6 percent. Motor vehicle thefts, which dipped to a five-year low in 2000, have since crept upward.