Baltimore County is experiencing historic lows in violent crime, but a rash of metal thefts still irks the county’s criminal justice leaders, they said Tuesday.
County Executive Jim Smith touted decreases in seven of the eight serious crime categories for the first six months of 2008 compared with the first half of 2007.
County police said decreases were reported in:
» Rapes by 6.2 percent;
» Robberies by 8.5 percent;
» Aggravated assaults by 2.5 percent;
» Burglaries by 5.8 percent;
» Motor vehicle thefts and arsons each by 15.8 percent.
Most impressive, Smith said, is a projected 40 percent decrease in homicides for the entire year of 2008.
“In addition to our decrease in crime, the Baltimore County Police Department is maintaining a clearance rate of 74 percent for violent crime and over 80 percent for homicides,” he said.
“Let me be clear what this statistic means to criminals: When a crime is committed in Baltimore County, you will be caught, you will be prosecuted, and you will go to jail.”
Baltimore County’s lower crime rates have spanned the entire county, including the area’s malls, according to statistics released Tuesday.
Police said crimes at The Avenue, East Point, Hunt Valley Town Center, Owings Mills, and Security Square malls are down. However, officers noted increases in crime at Towson Town Center, White Marsh and Westview malls.
“The crimes that occur in malls … destroy the economic viability of areas,” Smith said. “It’s critical, particularly in these economic times … to actually provide a safe environment for people to shop.”
‘Significant rise in metal thefts’
Nagging Baltimore County police, however, is a 4.9 increase in total thefts countywide. Of those, there has been a 13.8 percent increase in thefts from vehicles and a 22 percent increase in thefts of catalytic converters. Hardest hit have been the Catonsville and Arbutus areas — where thefts of catalytic converters have skyrocketed.
“What we’ve been seeing is a significant rise in metal thefts in the county and frankly in the state: Metal thefts, catalytic converters, copper, anything that can be converted into scrap,” Police Chief Jim Johnson said.
The thefts are a nuisance to car owners and their costs add up quickly, he said.
“It’s not just the cost of the catalytic converter, which can cost around $500,” Johnson said. “It’s also the cost of all the pipes that need to be fixed and that can run around $1,200.”
Johnson and Smith said they plan to push — for the second consecutive year — a bill that would require the sale of scrap metal to be recorded in Maryland, so sellers of stolen goods can be tracked.
Smith said the theft of metal bleachers from Kenwood High School shows the seriousness of the problem.
“You get them back, but they’re destroyed,” he said.
The thefts are not limited to Baltimore County, the officials said. For example, Howard police saw a jump in thefts from cars at the Mall in Columbia, from nine in the first half of 2007 to 23 in the first half of 2008. Spokeswoman Sherry Llewellyn said “that’s been a trend regionwide,” and special patrol squads were assigned to focus on car break-ins.
Cops on YouTube
Johnson credited much of the lower crime to technological initiatives, such as devices that allow officers to scan areas for license plates, and computerized crime data that allows commanders to recognize criminal trends and respond quickly.
For example, after this past week’s attack on a 76-year-old woman in Parkville, police placed calls for information to cell phones in the area, after learning the suspect was likely younger than 25, said Baltimore County police spokesman Bill Toohey.
“We thought other young people might know more information,” he said.
Johnson said he also plans to post agency alerts on YouTube.com.
“Honestly, the media helps us clear cases,” he said.
Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger said police have not only been keeping crime down in the county, but have been bringing him strong cases.
“… By bringing quality cases to our office, our police partners allow us to get lengthy sentences,” he said.
Baltimore County malls
Mall 2007 2008
crimes crimes
The Avenue 41 23
East Point 250 208
Hunt Valley 74 53
Town Center
Owings Mills 121 79
Security Square 112 80
Towson Market 112 130
Place
Towson Town 174 199
Center
Westview 33 37
White Marsh 236 260
Total 1,153 1,069
These figures are based on the first six months for both years.
Source: Baltimore County police
Staff Writer Carolyn Peirce contributed to this article.
