Anne Arundel County Maryland Police Department Points to Real-Time Info Center for Drop in Crime

Six months since the Anne Arundel County Police Department unveiled its Real-Time Information Center, the department says there is a “significant” reduction in crime, which it attributes, in part, to the center.

Justin Mulcahy, a spokesperson for the department, said that since the launch of the crime center, arrests are being made quicker.

He said the department believes that by closing these cases sooner, it is helping stop future crimes made by repeat offenders.

“Cases are being closed and you’re seeing patterns stop,” he said.

According to an August 13 news release from the department, homicides are down 14% since the beginning of the year.

Also, since the start of the year, non-contact shootings are down 42%, personal robberies are down 46% and commercial robberies are down 50%.

When it comes to vehicles, carjackings are down 57%, stolen vehicles are down 28% and thefts from vehicles are down 27%, police said. According to the release, 96 stolen vehicles have been recovered so far this year.

Mulcahy said that, anecdotally, Anne Arundel County Police haven’t seen decreases in crime to this extent in recent years.

Mulcahy said the department credits this reduction to proactive police work, “incredible” follow-up work by detectives, the responsible use of technology and community partnerships like the Connect Anne Arundel program, which allows residents and businesses to register their exterior security cameras with the police department in an effort to aid crime solving.

Mulcahy said the department also has a team of analysts that identifies crime trends and looks for patterns.

According to the news release, these efforts have resulted in lower crime rates, quicker case closures and the disruption of crime sprees by arresting repeat offenders.

The Real-Time Information Center, which was started last summer and was officially unveiled in February, is considered the “cornerstone” of the department’s achievement in reducing crime, according to the news release.

The center uses security cameras, drones, license plate readers and data analytics to monitor incidents and provide officers with information in real time.

“It’s so vital to have that because the more information you have going into a scene, the better,” he said.

Kiminori Nakamura, an assistant research professor with the University of Maryland’s Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, said he’s seeing departments across the state and country start up these information centers.

Nakamura said that although these centers have only started popping up in the last decade, studies are slowly coming out suggesting they are promising. He said the studies find the information centers improve clearance rates, which are the percentage of cases a police department solves.

But Nakamura said determining whether these centers can be considered the reason for crime reduction is trickier.

“It could be part of the reason why the crime rates drop,” he said. “But there could be other factors that contribute to that drop.”

Nakamura said “rigorous” research is necessary to make the determination of whether crime rates dropped as a result of the center.

Nakamura said that when it comes to public feelings on these centers, there are some concerns with privacy and access.

“Some people describe this as mass surveillance, ” he said about the centers. “So, some people have doubts and concerns. … And police departments in cities and counties across the country need to address those concerns.”

Mulcahy said the department’s policies are on its website in an effort to be transparent. He said that along with its own policies, the department follows state and federal drone guidelines and it does not retain data for more than 30 days if it is not being used in an investigation.

When asked if the department expects crime rates to continue to drop, Mulcahy said he doesn’t have a crystal ball, but the department has noticed more reductions in crime in the past week.

According to an Anne Arundel Police crime report snapshot for Tuesday, in the last week, the department has seen drops in thefts and burglaries, including a 40% decrease in residential burglaries and a 31.58% decrease in stolen vehicles.

Anne Arundel County Police Chief Amal Awad said these crime reductions signify “a safer community.”

“This success is a direct result of the tireless dedication and exceptional work of our police officers and professional staff in tandem with the invaluable partnership we share with our community,” she said in the news release. “While technology is a powerful tool, it is the skill of our personnel and the earned trust of our community that make the difference, allowing us to solve crimes more quickly and prevent repeat offenses.”

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