By Jim Johnson
Baltimore County Police Chief
The Baltimore County Police Department’s 2011 crime report, now available online here, takes a more comprehensive approach to crime trends than ever before.
In addition to providing year-to-year information, for the first time this report looks at five-year trends. I asked our Crime Analysis Unit to compare 2011 data with the previous five-year averages for each category of crime because I am convinced that we can’t understand whether we’re making progress in reducing crime simply by looking at the short term; we also need to look at how we’re doing over time.
A single year of crime data can be influenced significantly by weather, civil disturbances and the random–or even once-in-a-lifetime–event. We get a better picture of how we are doing when we take the longer view.
The 2011 report shows that our Police Department is fulfilling the mission of reducing crime – both in the short term and the long term.
Looking at crime numbers from 2006 to 2011, it becomes increasingly apparent that 2010 was an extremely unusual year – probably because of the February 2010 double blizzard that kept people inside for weeks. That year, every category of Part I violent and property crime fell well below levels seen from 2006 to 2009.
In 2011, total Part I violent crime dropped even more. In 2010, there were 4,305 incidents; in 2011, the number fell to 4,250. Part I property crime increased slightly.
The real news, however, is how 2011 crime levels compare to the previous five-year average. The crime totals in seven of the eight categories of Part I crime – the most serious crimes – were lower in 2011 than the previous five-year average for each category. (The exception was homicide, in which the total number of crimes equaled the five-year average.)
Looking at the five-year averages, we have reduced Part I violent crime by more than 14 percent; Part I property crime by nearly 8 percent and Part II crime by nearly 9 percent. In 2011, we drove down total crime below the previous five-year average by an impressive 9 percent.
In addition, Baltimore County Police continue to excel at solving crimes and getting criminals off the street. Year after year, our clearance rates for Part I crime exceed the national average as determined by the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program; for some crimes, our clearance rates almost double the national average. We expect this pattern to continue.
When we see crime dropping over time and criminals prosecuted for their actions, we know our law enforcement strategies are working. I encourage you to join me in thanking our more than 1,900 officers and hundreds of civilian professional staff for their hard work in making the County safer, and for continuing the fight against crime into 2012 and beyond.
Where was Steve, Robert, or Adam? None of you were there and yet you know all about it. You can't even keep your identity straight much less the facts.
My vehicle was vandalized over and over. It finally stopped when I installed an elaborate security system with night vision cameras. When you call and report a crime. they have to write a report. That's why despite all the county rhetoric on the crime stats, I would like to know the increase in the numbers regarding calls for service.
According to Mills, the governing elite in the US primarily draws its members from three areas: (i) the highest political leaders (including the president) and a handful of key cabinet members and close advisers; (ii) major corporate owners and directors; and (iii) high ranking military officers.[2] These groups overlap, and elites tend to circulate from one sector to another, consolidating power as they do so.
The hiring has become scary, with the standards sliding just to fill academy classes. I have no doubt that the stats are not accurate.
I'll tell you how lame the situation became. I recovered a 22 cal. magazine right outside of the car door of a drug suspect. I called the precinct to let them and the det. who was supposed to be investigating the situation to let him know of the potential danger and was told to call back, he was off that day. I told the officer what if he confronts that guy and is shot. His response was I'll leave him a message on his desk. It didn't matter because the det. took no action anyway. I had other incidents with the precinct in which I was a victim and was treated like a suspect. It was a degrading experience. Another incident, a hit and run with the suspect tag left behind as evidence and the officer's response, sorry on report, no witness. I guess he never heard of physical evidence. I'm a member of the PCR. If they won't answer a legal document under the law, I don't think the PCR can change their response. I even meet with the captain and nothing changed. They are practicing selective enforcement. If they don't like you it's a sort of pay back. I do keep good notes and will have plenty over time.
My darkness has been filled with the light of intelligence, and behold, the outer day-lit world was stumbling and groping in social blindness.Hellen Keller
I may do a PIA and brake down the calls as they come in and how they are coded. That is the key. The city did the same thing with the rape scandal reports.
Fred Hohman and Kamenetz run the police department. It has become a political tool and a soap box.
Look at the recent towing scandal in the city. You see the kind of feedback I get from Steve/RA/Adam. He talks about a gruesome detail as if he were there and it was nothing. The only nothing is his character. How can you have one when you don't have an identity. He swears by everything that is holy and still misleads about who he is. That says a lot about many things.
And you are right about the political climate in the department. I have been gone for nearly 16 years now, but keep in contact with guys who are still on the job. Decisions are made based on political gain, not based on what is best for the department, the officers or the citizens of Baltimore County.
Robert Armstrong is the only one on this site to used the term "tinfoil hat." You were identified by several means. I won't reveal that because of privacy concerns on your part. However, if it leads to legal issues then it all comes out. That is your choice. Abide by the terms of use and no problem. Go the other way, big problem. Your smart enough to know that. F&F has lead to a contempt issue and was not a witch hunt but a congressional action. Democrats also voted for this also. This will not be decided before the election. It could take years in the courts. It is however a PR issue and will hurt the president.
http://www.marylandroads.com/index.aspx?PageId=11 You certainly made the right move in call that issue in. It is quite possible the gun could be linked to other crimes. It could also be part of some missing piece of the puzzle in a criminal case. Imagine if a kid thought that gun was a toy or someone else decided they needed a weapon for illegal activity. Without the involvement of the citizens the police cannot succeed in doing their jobs.
Goggle (sp?) "Tinfoil Hat" There are over 1.2 million hits including several videos that show you how to make your very own. That really must have been some humdinger of an investigation! It even took you to websites in the UK and New England. Sorry Dude. You've got the wrong guy.
You are what your are and your word usage shows from where you come. Nothing I would be proud of. In your case maybe that's all you've got - slang!
As I said, you follow the terms of use and there will be no problem. If you do not, you know how the situation will unfold. I took legal action against the county and now they are attempting to resolve the issue, but we said - Oh well! They chose their course of action and will now have to answer to the letter of the law. I would guess that you would not want to be part of a news story by going back to your prior antics. The choice is yours. For me, it would be another story. The Sun just did a series on the issue. By doing that, along with other means, you left a trail of who the accounts were registered under. I simply did what I had to do and the investigators did the rest. It's their job. When you started to act civilly, I let the issue slide. I did not feel like spending my time at following up on the issue if it was resolved. Four states, I thought you said you attended the festival at Patterson Park. You are a local resident by your own words. You forget everything you write is permanent on this site, no matter what name you use.