After a violent week, Prince George’s County will see its murder rate increase in 2007, dimming hopes for continuing the progress made last year.
As of press time, there had been 140 homicides in the county, up 4.5 percent from 134 in 2006. The 2006 totals were considered great progress over the record high of 169 in 2005. Until last weekend, this year’s numbers were on pace with 2006. But since Dec. 21, five men have been killed in Prince George’s, each from gunshot wounds.
Police downplayed the increase.
“Our numbers are still down compared to the District and Baltimore, though,” said Officer Henry Tippett, a spokesman for the Prince George’s Police Department. “We haven’t seen a significant increase.”
In D.C., homicides are up to 181 from 169 in 2006; Baltimore dwarfs both cities with 281 homicides so far in 2007, up from 274 in 2006, according to police officials. Neighboring Montgomery County has seen only 21 homicides, compared with 20 in 2006. Police generally attribute the slayings to gangs and drugs.
Prince George’s officials are reluctant to disclose growth in the number of officers working on special force units, such as violent crime teams, for fear of supplementing criminal strategies. However, one official did refer to four violent crime teams in Prince George’s. And in general, units are made up of 8 to 10 officers, though that number can fluctuate.
The department is quick to highlight its focus on officer recruitment in recent years. In December 2005, the same year of the record number of homicides, the county graduated a record 117 recruits from the police academy. In 2007, that number has grown to 125.
“In modern-day policing, we have to keep up with the crime trends,” said Vernon Herron, the county’s director of public safety.
When a killer is at work, police say the only deterrent may be having an officer present at the crucial moment. And even then, it may only delay the crime.
“You can’t really stop a homicide,” Tippett said. “If someone’s determined to kill, it’s going to happen.”
