Overall crime decreased by 7% in Montgomery County during 2024.
There were 19 homicides committed in the county during 2024, which is 10 fewer than the previous year, according to County Executive Marc Elrich.
Among the homicides that occurred, there was an 84% closure rate, according to Lt. Sunyoung Kim, who called that “well above” the national average. She also noted that the number of carjackings continues to decrease and is lower than in 2021.
Shootings decreased by 19%, property crimes fell by 6% and carjackings dropped by 43%, Elrich noted during his weekly briefing Tuesday.
Automobile thefts are still high, but the numbers are decreasing, Kim said. She attributed the decrease to the police department’s use of license readers and its targeting of repeat offenders.
“The numbers are good, but I am not a big fan of declaring victory. The numbers are still too high. 19 is too many homicides,” Elrich said.
While the trend is going in the right direction, Elrich said he remains concerned about staffing. There currently are 166 vacancies among sworn officers, which is troubling he said considering that many officers soon will be eligible for retirement.
Members of the Montgomery County’s Alcohol Holiday Task Force have arrested 189 drivers during the past six weeks. The majority of those arrests involved alcohol while about five concerned drivers who were under the influence of drugs, according to County Assistant Police Chief David McBain.
At the same time last year, the holiday task force made 111 arrests, McBain said.
He advised everyone to “Be safe. Have fun but be smart” during New Year’s Eve celebrations. There are several alternatives for rides so people under the influence do not get behind the wheel.
