LA PLATA, MD—The Charles County Sheriff's Office today announced that the rate of violent crime fell 17 percent in Charles County during the first half of 2006. This is according to information recently released in the Maryland Uniform Crime Report (UCR). Statistics for Maryland's UCR are compiled and released by the Maryland State Police.
The latest release of the UCR compares the number of crimes in the first part of 2006 to the number of crimes during the same period last year. The number of murders did not change; there was one during each six-month period. All other violent crimes decreased, including rapes by 26 percent, aggravated assaults by 18 percent and robberies by 9 percent.
"The UCR statistics reflect the success of our aggressive initiatives and our commitment to public safety," said Charles County Sheriff Frederick E. Davis. "The robbery statistic is especially important because those numbers had been rising. We implemented a strategy to address that problem and I am pleased to share facts that prove those efforts are effective."
There were also fewer car-jackings, which are calculated separately in the UCR. The number of car-jackings fell 29 percent, from seven in the first half of 2005 to only five in the first half of 2006.
Statistics were also collected for property crimes, including breaking or entering, which rose 24 percent, larceny theft, which rose 9 percent, and motor vehicle theft, which dropped 25 percent.
"The safety of our citizens is our highest priority," said Sheriff Davis. "By continuing to utilize our resources efficiently and by strengthening the partnership we have with our community, we will remain effective in the fight against crime."