Crime Takes a Tumble in 2010

Assaults down by nearly one quarter, robberies down more than 15 percent, nearly 600 fewer larcenies: For all but one category, crime in Montgomery Village and Gaithersburg dwindled last year, part of a trend countywide in which violent offenses fell off by more than 13 percent from 2009 to 2010.

 Montgomery County Police published statistics last week showing that the 6th District—which covers Montgomery Village and Gaithersburg—saw crime drop in six of seven categories, a distinction shared by only one of the county’s five other districts (Germantown).

Only burglaries increased in the 6th District, from 464 in 2009 to 489 last year. In every other category, the data show a downward trend:

• There was one murder last year, compared to two in 2009
• Reported rapes dropped from 34 in 2009 to 28 last year
• The 6th District saw 142 robberies last year, after 170 the year before
• Aggravated assaults saw one of the largest drops, tumbling 23 percent from 2009 (178) to 2010 (136)
• Larcenies slowed more than 18 percent: There were 2,600 last year, compared to 3,189 in 2009
• Auto theft scaled back 6 percent, from 233 down to 219

Countywide over the past four years, crime is down 12 percent even while the population grew 4 percent, according to police. The only crime categories that increased last year were murders and burglaries:

• The murders trend—17 in 2010 after 12 in 2009—traces to a spike in the 3rd District of Silver Spring, which went from three murders in 2009 to eight last year.
• Burglaries went up 10.4 percent last year, from 3,011 to 3,323. The Silver Spring district had by far the most of those burglaries (787), nearly 300 more than the 6th District

Of all the districts, Silver Spring , tallying the most crimes in all seven categories. The 1st District of Rockville had the fewest murders (0) and auto thefts (135). The 2nd District of Bethesda had the fewest rapes (7), robberies (68) and aggravated assaults (48). The 5th District of Germantown had the fewest burglaries (344) and larcenies (1,623).