Crime declining in Baltimore: What's the latest in the trend?

Crime declining in Baltimore: What's the latest in the trend?Photo: iStock
Hoodline
Published on March 28, 2019

The number of crime incidents in Baltimore saw an overall decrease last week, after a previous rise, according to data from SpotCrime, which collects data from police agencies and validated sources. Incidents fell to 7,290 for the week of March 18, down from 7,722 the week before.

The specific offenses that decreased the most were theft and robbery. Theft fell to 722 incidents last week, from 830 the week before. Robbery went from 136 to 96.

While somewhat smaller categories, there was also a notable percentage decrease in shootings, from 153 incidents per week to 120, and in vandalism, from 240 to 231 incidents.

There was one reported arson last week. That represents a steady state from the previous week.

Among the few types of offenses that saw an uptick last week, reports of assault went from 975 to 1,006, and burglary rose from 288 to 318.

There were 4,796 reports of "other" crimes, a decrease of 303 from the previous week. SpotCrime's broad "other" category includes a variety of offenses like fraud, trespassing, public disturbance and traffic violations. Of those incidents, 1,379 involved arrests, such as for drug possession, down from 1,456 reported arrests the week before.

Considering the concentration of crime across the city, Downtown, Frankford and Brooklyn had the most reported incidents last week. Downtown and Brooklyn were at the top of the list the previous week as well.

The Inner Harbor experienced the largest drop in crime. Crime reports in Belair-Edison also fell, after increasing the week before, and incidents in Ellwood Park-Monument are down considerably as well.

Regarding day and time factors, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays produced the most crime incidents last week. The largest decrease from the previous week occurred on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, while incidents on Wednesdays, Mondays and Tuesdays went up. Comparing times of day, late afternoon, evening and early afternoon continue to see the most crime incidents.

To report a crime in progress or life-threatening emergency, call 911. To report a non-urgent crime or complaint, contact your local police department.

Head to SpotCrime to get free local crime alerts in your area.

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This story was created automatically using local crime data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about our data sources and local crime methodology. Got thoughts about what we're doing? Go here to share your feedback.