The Montgomery County Police Department released its crime statistics for 2025, which showed a decrease in several major crime categories, including a 13% decrease in robberies, burglaries and auto theft.
Homicide, shootings and assault crimes were down 10%. However, murder and non-negligent manslaughter did increase from 20 to 24 in 2025. Police made 21 arrests in 24 of the incidents.
Gang-related incidents also rose while forceable rapes decreased, according to the 67-page report.
Throughout the report, new initiatives and more strategic policing were credited with the decreases.
In November of 2025, an officer responding to a car rally in Silver Spring received a hit from the department’s Automatic License Plate Recognition System. The driver was stopped and arrested as a homicide suspect in Prince George’s County.
The department’s Drone as First Responder program conducted 2,123 flights, locating almost 1,000 subjects or suspects, according to the report.
A new Operational Intelligence Division was created, combining the drone program and the Real Time Information Center. This division analyzes data from such items as cameras, license plate readers and 911 calls.
A push to have businesses share their security camera information has helped police investigations.
The department’s budget rose 6.8% as compared to Fiscal Year 2025, enabling the department to expand its drone program, purchase new digital forensic software and add security officers at the Progress Place shelter in Silver Spring.
Still, staffing is below what the department believes it needs. According to the report, at the end of 2025, there were 1,086 sworn police positions although the department had authorized 1,275. There were 694 filled professional staff positions out of an authorized 787.
During 2025, the crime rate per capita in the county decreased slightly, and the crime rate per square mile decreased from 77 crimes per square mile to 71 crimes. The crime rate per 100,000 people per square mile decreased from eight to seven crimes, according to the report.
Forcible rape dropped by 23 percent. There were 81 privately made firearms recovered during 2025, a 31% drop as compared with 2024.
Overall, gang-related violent crime increased about 11% from 2024.
In 2024, the top three violent crimes were weapon offenses, aggravated/simple assaults and robberies. In 2025, the top three violent crimes were aggravated/simple assaults, weapons offenses and homicides.
