Baltimore County police cleared 87 percent of their 2008 homicides — more than 25 percentage points higher than the national average for 2007.
Last year, county police solved 24 of the year’s 28 homicides, along with two cold cases ruled homicides in 2008.
“I am very proud of the work that our police officers do day in and day out,” Baltimore County Police Chief Jim Johnson said in a statement. “I am equally proud of the citizens of Baltimore County who come forward as witnesses and work with us to solve these vicious crimes. They are key partners in our efforts to protect our neighborhoods.”
The national clearance rate for homicides in 2007 — the latest data available — was 61 percent, according to the FBI. Under FBI guidelines, police departments are allowed to count previous years’ cases solved this year when determining their closure rates. Using that measure, Baltimore County homicide detectives had a 93 percent clearance rate this year, because they also solved two homicides from prior years.
By comparison, Baltimore City police closed 32 percent of their 234 homicides in 2008 — and, counting old cases closed — finished the year with a 46 percent clearance rate.
Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith praised the lower number of homicides for his jurisdiction — the lowest in 10 years and a 22 percent decrease from 2007, he said.
“Although one homicide is one too many, this reduction in violent crime in Baltimore County is very gratifying,” Smith said in a statement praising county police and prosecutors.
