There was an overall increase in crimes throughout the Montgomery County, Northern Virginia and Washington D.C. areas during 2022.
Much of the increase involved property crimes, which rose 13.2%, according to a report presented to the Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments Wednesday by Laurel Police Chief Russell E. Hamill, III, chair of COG’s Police Chiefs Committee.
The largest increase in property crimes involved motor vehicle thefts and larcenies.
Homicides, rapes and aggravated assaults were all down across the region in 2022 as compared to 2021, Hamill noted.
“Through this data-driven analysis, police chiefs can learn from various law enforcement agencies and gain a comprehensive understanding of the regional trends, enabling us to develop solutions for our local challenges,” Hamill said.
“Auto thefts is a trend affecting all jurisdictions, and with a collective approach through regional law enforcement initiatives, we can tackle property crime more effectively,” he added.
The Montgomery County Police reported 17,564 crimes, which amounts to 16.5 crimes per 1,000 residents during 2022.
There were 22 homicides, 395 rapes, 564 robberies, 991 aggravated assaults, 1,415 burglaries, 12,670 larcenies and 1,507 motor vehicle thefts.
Between 2021 and 2022 in Montgomery County, homicides decreased from 34 to 22. Rapes also decreased, from 407 to 395.
Robberies rose 15%, aggravated assaults dropped 1%, burglaries rose 25%, larcenies rose 9% and motor vehicle thefts increased by 4% in Montgomery County.
Rockville City Police reported 3 homicides, 22 rapes, 33 robberies, 86 aggravated assaults, 106 burglaries, 922 larcenies and 95 motor vehicle thefts for a total of 1,267 crimes. There were 18.9 crimes per 1,000 residents.
In Gaithersburg City, there were one homicide, 40 rapes, 50 robberies, 117 aggravated assaults, 116 burglaries, 1,123 larcenies and 103 motor vehicle thefts for a total of 1,550 crimes, or 21.6 crimes per 1,000 residents.
In Takoma Park, there were 2 homicides, 3 rapes, 24 robberies, 23 aggravated assaults, 90 burglaries, 321 larcenies and 53 motor vehicle thefts, for a total of 516 crimes, or 29.5 crimes per 1,000 residents.
Throughout the region, there were 13,050 motor vehicle thefts compared with 11,114 in 2021 and 8,199 in 2018, according to the report.
Crime per capita has been increasing since 2019 throughout the region, according to the report.
