Is crime on the rise in Dundalk?

First published Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle.

@thedundalkeagle

is crime really going up? i crunched the numbers

♬ original sound – Dundalk Eagle

Take a look at the police blotter and it’s easy to feel like crime is everywhere. It feels like there’s burglary after burglary after assault after robbery.

“You might want to reconsider moving here,” one Facebook user warned in the comments of a recent Dundalk Eagle post. “Nothing like it was.”

But an analysis of Baltimore County crime data in Precinct 12, which the Dundalk area is part of, shows that while overall crime is slightly above average, it’s nowhere near the peak. The data, retrieved from Baltimore County’s Open Data Portal, starts in January 2021 and goes until May 2024.

Violent crimes are way below average.

Burglaries, too, are below average.

Overall crime peaked in May 2023, with 234 crimes being reported. Violent crime and burglaries both peaked in summer 2021. Once Baltimore County compiles crime statistics for June and July, including the high-profile murder on July 1 at Colgate Elementary, a clearer picture will come into focus.


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