While the statewide stay-at-home order has disrupted daily life for Marylanders, the isolation resulting from the coronavirus pandemic also appears to have led to downticks in some incidents, according to Carroll County law enforcement data.
“Overall crime has been down in comparison to March of ’19,” Sheriff Jim DeWees told the Times. “DUI arrests, traffic crashes, they’re all down.”
The Board of County Commissioners issued a state of emergency March 13 in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Carroll’s first case of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, was announced that same day. Gov. Larry Hogan issued a stay-at-home order for all Maryland residents March 30.
As of April 17, according to the latest data available from the county, Carroll has 291 confirmed cases and 35 fatalities from the virus.
Here’s a look at how crime has fluctuated in Carroll County since the state of emergency started. (Taneytown Police Department did not respond to requests for comment.)
Sheriff’s Office
DeWees said his office began keeping track of crimes they thought might be affected by the pandemic.
From March 13 to April 14, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office logged 23 calls in which someone threatened to harm themselves, 24 domestic violence calls, two suicides, 42 thefts, 24 traffic crashes and 10 nonfatal overdoses, according to DeWees.
During the same period in 2019, there were 31 calls in which someone threatened to harm themselves, 27 domestic violence calls, one suicide, 70 thefts, 48 traffic crashes, and 14 nonfatal overdoses.
Overall, DeWees said, there’s been little issue with people violating the governor’s orders.
Manchester
“It’s tough times for all involved," Manchester Police Chief John Hess said, “but we will get through this and rebound collectively.”
Manchester police logged 89 calls in March 2020 and 78 in March 2019, although, “prior months leading up to this event, we were averaging 120 to 130 calls for service,” he said.
Calls for police assistance ranged from neighbor disputes to thefts to unlawful entering of a shed, according to the chief.
“We have had no spikes in any one category and nothing serious,” Hess said, though they’ve been getting more calls from families asking police to check on their relatives.
Traffic enforcement is significantly down, mainly due to the pandemic, he said, as officers are typically going after violations that are either blatant or related to a case.
They’ve handled five violations of the governor’s executive orders: two at businesses, one at a skateboard park, one at a playground, and one at a private residence. All were peacefully resolved with a verbal warning, according to Hess.
Hampstead
In neighboring Hampstead, crashes and arrests are down, but domestic violence and overdoses have each seen a slight uptick.
From March 1 to the morning of April 13, Chief David Snyder said there have been three traffic crashes, one overdose, 11 arrests, four domestic incidents and one burglary.
During the same period in 2019, there were seven crashes, no overdoses, 29 arrests, two domestic incidents and no burglaries.
“With less people on the roads we have less crashes,” Snyder said. “Arrests are down for more or less the same reason. There [are] a percentage of cases that begin with a traffic violation.”
Hampstead police have found that some people are confused about what they are supposed to do, with various orders, advice and misinformation circulating, according to Snyder.
“People have had their routines so dramatically altered, and without a definitive end to the event, there is a fair amount of anxiety out there,” he said. “On our end we just try to do our best to help our people make their way through this event.”
Sykesville
Sykesville Police Department’s crime rates are a bit mixed.
Sgt. Shawn Kilgore said police handled 864 calls from March 13 to April 13, compared to 800 in the same period last year. However, only 13 incidents in that time period this year required a report, meaning the alleged offenses were more serious in nature, he said. During the same period in 2019, Sykesville police filed reports for 35 incidents.
Police investigated two overdoses during that time frame this year, Kilgore said, but none the year prior.
Traffic crashes have been nonexistent. Sykesville police investigated five in that time frame last year, but none over that period this year, he said.
Mount Airy
In Mount Airy, two people were shot and killed April 2 in what the sheriff called a highly unusual shooting.
Police responded to the 7900 block of Bennett Branch Road at about 2:50 p.m. An 18-year-old man and a 36-year-old woman were killed, and the shooter killed himself after a brief standoff with Montgomery County police outside his home in Gaithersburg.
Aside from that shooting, Mount Airy Police Chief Doug Reitz said, there’s been a decrease in some incidents and increases in others.
“The Mount Airy Police Department has observed a slight fluctuation in certain crime trends and overall incidents as compared to this time last year,” Reitz said. “The department has not observed a marked increase in domestic-related calls for service, suicide, overdose or civil disobedience.”
Vehicle collisions are down by almost 50% compared to last year, he said.
As of April 13, Reitz said, there have been no burglaries in 2020, whereas there were three in the first quarter of 2019. He did not know whether this could be attributed to the state of emergency and governor’s executive orders.
There were nine thefts in March 2020 compared to five in March 2019, though Reitz noted the rate is lower than the fall of 2019.
Mount Airy police have responded to 15 incidents concerning compliance with social distancing requirements and essential business operations, Reitz said. All but two of those were unfounded, he said — one was a complaint about use of a public space that was resolved without incident through an order to vacate; the other was a report of a deliberate violation of social distancing in a public establishment, and police are still investigating.
Property checks have more than doubled since last year, he said. From March 13 to April 13, police have logged 773 property checks, compared to 290 in the same period the year prior.
Mount Airy police received 1,081 calls for service during that period this year, Reitz said, compared with 902 calls in the previous year.
Westminster
The day after the Mount Airy shooting, police shot a man in Westminster after he allegedly pointed a rifle at them.
Westminster Police Department responded to East Green Street in Westminster a few minutes after 5 p.m. April 3 in response to reports of a man walking on the railroad tracks with a rifle, according to Westminster Police Chief Thomas Ledwell.
They approached the man and spoke with him. At some point in the conversation, he allegedly pointed the rifle at them. Five officers opened fire, shooting him, Ledwell said. Thomas Charles Henson, 29, of Westminster, was flown out by helicopter after being shot three times.
The Carroll County State’s Attorney’s Office found the officers to be legally justified in their use of force, based on an investigation by Maryland State Police.
Outside of that shooting, crime seems to be declining by “a good amount compared to 2019,” Ledwell said.
Part 1 crimes, which range from homicide to theft, have dropped, he said. In March 2020, there were 86 total crimes reported. The year before, there were 155, according to Ledwell.
There have been 17 domestic assaults and 34 verbal domestic disputes so far this year, compared with 19 domestic assaults and 27 verbal domestic disputes the year prior, he said.
Maryland State Police
Maryland State Police at the Westminster Barrack last month responded to a local violation of the governor’s order to limit gatherings to 10 people.
Ryan M. Serra, 26, of Lutherville was charged after allegedly hosting a party at the Boston Inn on March 29 and providing alcohol to 10 teenage guests, police said.
Since the pandemic reached Maryland, state police have been out in the community educating the public about the governor’s orders, according to barrack Commander Lt. Rebecca Bosley.
Troopers conducted 1,223 patrol and compliance checks, and provided informational brochures to the public between March 13 and April 14, she said.
During that time, state police investigated 50 collisions and 47 crimes in 2020, compared to 132 collisions and 133 crimes in 2019, according to Bosley.
“As you can see, our calls for service have declined in the past month, but troopers have been conducting patrol checks, ensuring those businesses that have closed due to the pandemic are protected,” Bosley said. “We remain committed to our community, and we thank those who have followed the guidance of Governor Hogan and have been following the stay at home directives.”