Potomac — Montgomery County Police reported that for the fifth year in a row, crime has decreased. Based on statistics from 2007 through 2011, there has been an 18.8 percent decrease in total crime over the past 5 years. Part 1 crimes have fallen 24.4 percent, while Part 2 crimes have also dropped, by 15.6 percent.
Between 2010 and 2011, total crime decreased by 7.7 percent. Part 1 crimes fell 10.9 percent and Part 2 crimes were decreased by 6 percent.
Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) statistics for year-end 2010 compared to year-end 2011 show:
• Part I Crime decreased by 10.9 percent (from 21,739 to 19,368)
• Part II Crime decreased by 6.0 percent (from 41,205 to 38,713)
• Overall, Total Crime (Part I & Part II) decreased by 7.7 percent (from 62,944 to 58,081)
Part I crimes are defined as: murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, and auto theft.
Part II crimes are defined as: minor assaults, arson, forgery-counterfeiting, bad checks, embezzlement, stolen property, vandalism, weapons offenses, prostitution, sex offenses, controlled dangerous substance (CDS) violations, gambling, family offenses, juvenile offenses, liquor law violations, disorderly conduct, suicide, and non-traffic offenses.
A breakdown of Part 1 Crime statistics reveals that from 2010 to 2011:
Murder: decreased 5.9 percent (from 17 to 16)
Rape: decreased 5.9 percent (119 to 112)
Robbery: decreased 7.8 percent (from 911 to 840)
Aggravated Assault: decreased 0.8 percent (from 653 to 648)
Burglary: decreased 7.9 percent (from 3,323 to 3,061)
Larceny: decreased 11.5 percent (from 15,261 to 13,505)
Auto Theft: decreased 18.5 percent (from 1,455 to 1,186)
An analysis of the 2011 crime statistics for Part I offenses include the following points:
Homicide
There were 16 homicides in 2011. Thirteen victims knew or were related to their killers. Two were killed by strangers. One suspect remains unknown.
Rape
Of the rape cases, 94 were completed rapes (85.1 percent) and 20 were attempts (17.5 percent). 19 of the recorded cases actually occurred prior to 2011 (16.7 percent). 73.7 percent of victims knew or were related to their offender(s) and 24.6 percent of victims reported a stranger as the offender.
Robbery
Non-commercial robberies showed a decrease from 765 in 2010 to 724 in 2011 (-5.41 percent). However, “pack” style street robberies with three or more suspects increased approximately 7.3 percent. Multiple arrests by patrol officers immediately after some robberies and aggressive follow-up by investigators have had a positive impact on reducing non-commercial robbery numbers over the past few years, especially for the repeat offenders/groups responsible for multiple robberies. Overall robberies have decreased 28.0 percent from a (two-decade) high of 1,166 in 2006.
Aggravated Assault
There were 648 aggravated assaults reported in 2011. 28.4 percent of assault suspects were a spouse/partner or other family member of the victim. Police officers were victims in 27 of these reported assaults. The display or use of a weapon occurred in 88.7 percent of these incidents.
Burglary
Both residential and commercial burglaries showed decreases from 2010 to 2011. Residential burglaries dropped by 6.5 percent and commercial burglaries decreased by 18.2 percent. In approximately 25.0 percent of residential burglaries, entry was gained through an unsecured (either unlocked or open) window or door.
Larceny
Larceny decreased by 11.5 percent between 2010 and 2011. Shoplifting decreased by 18.8 percent and thefts from buildings dropped 7.9 percent. Thefts from vehicles, which includes vehicle parts, dropped by 16.1 percent. This decrease can be attributed in part to numerous on-scene arrests in prior years to include repeat offenders and increased public awareness attributed to press releases and community informational campaigns.
Auto Theft
Auto Theft (including attempts) are down 18.5 percent from last year and 62.3 percent from 10 years ago.