As the county has been trying to address crime in downtown Silver Spring, police say efforts have been helpful, but some crimes continue.
Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus Jones said that last year, the Silver Spring police district had a higher crime rate than the other districts — it accounted for 23% of all crimes in the county, and a specific sector in downtown Silver Spring accounted for 9% of all crimes.
Jones said the police department’s video drone program has responded to 454 calls in the short time it has been in place, and in 53 of those incidents it was determined there was no need for police service, so officers did not need to be unnecessarily occupied.
County Executive Marc Elrich said there has been a significant reduction in carjackings.
Jones noted carjackings have been going down, but one crime has been going up “tremendously” — vehicle thefts, which Jones said are at an “all-time high.”
