Anne Arundel County experienced double-digit percentage declines for a variety of violent crimes last year, including homicides, carjackings, shootings and rapes, according to its police department.

In a news release Wednesday, law enforcement officials said there was a “significant” drop in violent crime across Maryland’s fourth most-populated county compared to 2023.

Some of their key findings include:

17% reduction in homicides (10 in 2024 vs. 12 in 2023)

57% reduction in carjackings (20 in 2024 vs. 47 in 2023)

43% reduction in contact shootings, where someone is injured (17 in 2024 vs. 30 in 2023)

13% reduction in non-contact shootings, where no injuries were reported (103 in 2024 vs. 119 in 2023)

17% reduction in rapes (145 in 2024 vs. 175 in 2023)

Despite these reductions, the county said the number of personal and commercial robberies increased.

In a statement Wednesday, Police Chief Amal Awad said she was proud of her department for honoring their oath to provide the community with safe access to the “culture, beauty and entertainment Anne Arundel County has to offer.”

“We are committed to proactively fighting and reducing crime, in collaboration with our community partners, utilizing advanced methods and technologies to assist our men and women in delivering the high level of public safety our community not only expects, but immensely enjoys,” she said.

The 10 homicides county detectives investigated last year were the fewest in more than a decade, police said, with the department making arrests in six of the cases.

Police said they also seized 358 guns as evidence last year.

“I commend Chief Awad and the Police Department for their effective, modern policing strategies and the gun violence prevention work being led by the Department of Health and implemented by community-based organizations,” said County Executive Steuart Pittman.

In their release, county police attributed the reductions to proactive patrol responses by officers, community partnerships and engagement efforts, as well as the use of real-time crime data to coordinate resources “when crime patterns emerge.”

There is debate, however, about what social and legal factors contribute to lower crime rates.

A 2014 literature review by Pew Charitable Trusts listed better police data, waning crack cocaine demand, a rising national average age and higher rates of incarceration as “common theories,” among other economic and technological factors.

Other criminal justice groups believe improving people’s day-to-day lives and satisfying their “basic desires” will make communities safer. A “law-and-order” approach, they argue, has the opposite effect.

Partners for Justice, a public defense advocacy organization, found in a 2022 analysis that stable income, be it employment or governments benefits, as well as access to safe housing and care are what really reduce crime.

“These are the factors that promote well-being, success, and empowerment for individuals, families, and communities — all while reducing crime,” they wrote. “If we want to imagine a world where people are given a chance to address harm and heal, we must invest in the things that foster success and equal justice.”

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