Violent crime in Baltimore County fell to its lowest level in five years in 2025, according to county police, with homicides and nonfatal shootings both taking sharp dives as detectives cleared more cases than they have in years.
Police officials say the drop is not a lucky streak but the result of prevention work, community engagement, and focused investigations, and note that the year-end totals come after a full review of 2025 data.
According to FOX45 News, citing a Baltimore County Police Department press release, the county recorded 28 homicides in 2025, down from 55 in 2021, a 49% decrease. Nonfatal shooting incidents fell from 75 in 2021 to 41 in 2025, a drop of more than 45%. The department also reported a 93% homicide clearance rate and a 95% clearance rate for nonfatal shootings.
How Baltimore County Fits Into Maryland's Bigger Crime Picture
State leaders say Baltimore County is not an outlier. The Office of Governor Wes Moore reports that preliminary 2025 data show homicides and nonfatal shootings dropping sharply across Maryland as well. The governor's office has proposed new funding for law enforcement support, pitching the budget move as a way to keep the public-safety strategies behind those declines from losing steam.
Police Credit Prevention, Patrol and Casework
"The decrease in homicides and non-fatal shootings underscores the Department’s ongoing focus on prevention, community engagement," Chief Robert McCullough said in a department press release, according to FOX45 News.
County officials say detectives and patrol officers have emphasized faster follow-up and better coordination with neighboring jurisdictions, which they cite when pointing to the higher clearance rates.
What Comes Next
Baltimore County has steered federal and local recovery dollars toward targeted interventions, including shot-detection systems and community-based violence-prevention programs, that officials say are meant to help keep the numbers moving in the right direction, according to the county's ARPA performance report. Residents and policy watchers will now be tracking whether the downward trend holds as the county rolls out its planned investments for 2026 and beyond.
