Crime & Safety

Police: Crime Down Overall

First quarter crime statistics show crime is down overall, but rapes are up.

Gaithersburg is a safer place to live today than it was a year ago.

This, according to first quarter crime statistics for the city just released by police, is based on an 11.7 percent overall decrease in part I and II crimes.

However compared to first quarter last year, there has been a 33 percent increase in rapes, the statistics show.

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Part I crimes are more serious in nature—such as robberies, aggravated assaults, burglaries and larcenies—and decreased by 19.2 percent, police report.

Police define Part II crimes as less serious—such as "minor assaults, arson, forgery-counterfeiting, bad checks, embezzlement, stolen property, vandalism, weapons offenses, prostitution, sex offenses, controlled dangerous substance (CDS) violations, gambling, family offenses, juvenile offenses, liquor law violations, disorderly conduct, suicide, and non-traffic offenses,"—and decreased by 7.4 percent.

Find out what's happening in Gaithersburgwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Gaithersburg Police Chief Mark P. Sroka attributes the overall decrease to an increased partnership with the community and police.

"When the community works with and trusts the police, together we can have an impact on reducing crime," he said in an email.

Asked if there is an identifiable cause for the increase in rapes, and strategy to combat them in the future, he said they are a "crime of opportunity."

"There are many factors that can influence the occurrence of these incidents such as location, vulnerability, time and the environment. For the 1st Quarter of 2011, in 3 cases (75%) of the incidents the victim previously knew or was related to their attacker, with 1 case (25%) committed by a stranger."

 

Homicide:

No change (from 0 to 0)

Rape:

33.3% increase (from 3 to 4)

Robbery:

38.9% decrease   (from 18 to 11)

Aggravated Assault: 

42.1% decrease (from 19 to 11)

Burglary: 

24.0% decrease   (from 50 to 38)

Larceny:

16.4% decrease (from 371 to 310)

Auto Theft: 

26.1% decrease (from 23 to 17)


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