Crime

Definition:
The rate of violent crimes that are committed per 1,000 persons.*

Data Source: FBI, Crime in the United States in 2014, Table 1
Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention, 2014 Uniform Crime Report

Story Behind the Data:

Overall, the number of violent crimes in Maryland decreased by more than 38% between 2005 and 2014.  While this decline in Maryland’s violent crime rate has closed the gap significantly between Maryland’s rate and that of the United States as a whole, the violent crime rate in Maryland remains 19% higher than the national rate.

The 2014 rate of 4.4 is for violent crimes per 1,000 persons in all of Maryland. In examining jurisdictional data for 2013, the highest violent crime rates occurred in Baltimore City, Prince George’s County, Baltimore County, and Wicomico County. However, in mirroring the State as a whole, each of these counties has seen significant declines in their violent crime rates over the previous ten year period. Talbot, Calvert, and Montgomery Counties achieved a violent crime rate less than 2.0 per 1,000 persons.

According to the Maryland State Child Fatality Review Team’s 2015 Annual Legislative Report, 12.4% of children’s deaths (0 through 17 years old) were due to homicide in 2014. Overall, the number of deaths due to homicide for children in that age group declined 29% between 2010 and 2014.

Notes:

*Violent crime includes murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault.