Prince George’s County has averaged more homicides per month this year than in 2010, even when excluding January’s rash of killings. While county officials announced Wednesday that overall crime is on pace for a new record low, homicides continue to haunt the county, with 82 so far this year.
The year started with 15 homicides in January, but since then, the county has averaged 8.6 per month from February to August — or one more per month than in 2010.
The most recent slayings include the death of 24-year-old Antwan Lamar Brooks, who was found shot early in the morning of Sept. 22 in Capitol Heights.
Prince George’s police officially count 80 homicides this year, as two high-profile deaths this month — the killing of Bowie State University student Dominique Frazier and the slaying of Laurel resident Brandice Jones — don’t count toward the department’s total since municipal police departments are working on the cases.
Overall, crime is down 9 percent, a further decease in crime from the 35-year low in crime the county saw in 2010, said Police Chief Mark Magaw.
The county credited its summer crime initiative, an all-encompassing approach to law enforcement in five focus areas: Glassmanor, Hillcrest Heights, Suitland, Riverdale and Langley Park.
The practices used over the summer will continue to be used beyond the initiative, Magaw said.
“Although the summer crime initiative is coming to a close, we will not be abandoning our crime fighting, our community [outreach] efforts,” Magaw said.
The county sheriff’s office has trimmed a backlog of 30,000 outstanding warrants, while the state’s attorney’s office has focused more prosecutors on putting away repeat offenders.
And police worked with nonprofit organizations for weekly neighborhood walks to improve relationships with residents and become a more visible force in the community.
County Executive Rushern Baker said he will work with the County Council to find more funds for the initiative in the next budget cycle.
