Crime Conundrum: Greenbelt Crime Numbers Down, But Shifting Locations

Crime is at an eight-year low in Greenbelt, but this may be due in part to a shift in location rather than a reduction in crime, police say.

Public Information Officer Kelly Lawson said that through September, crime was down 29.6 percent from the same time in 2010. The reduction is in both violent crime and property offenses, she said.

If crime in Greenbelt continues to fall as it did last September, the city could have its lowest rate in eight years, she said.

This drop is partly explained by increased police patrols and targeted enforcement efforts, such as the drive to neighborhood, Lawson said. In addition to increased patrols, she said that police have been working with the new management company to evict problem tenants.

“A lot of the management companies seem to be taking a more proactive stance as far as checking if there’s been involvement or problems,” she said. “They want the police to let them know if they are having problems with tenants.”

Such efforts saw a successful in the first quarter of 2011. However, by the summer crime was , including loitering and drug-related activity. This area is predominantly single-family homes and condominiums as opposed to apartment complexes, and Lawson said the process of evicting residents who commit crimes is more complicated.   

“In an apartment complex, you sign a contract, and if you violate that they can put you out. But a condominium is a home,” Lawson said. “You don’t have those same options available so it’s a much lengthier process in Greenbelt East trying to get problem tenants put out.”

Movement of crime happens on a larger scale as well.

“The trick with crime is that you can’t ever really stop it, so what all police departments try to do is they try to move it,” Lawson said. “If you can move crime out of your jurisdiction, then at least your residents have peace of mind.”

Lawson said that crime constantly moves between municipalities. “We try to push it to Hyattsville or Bladensburg or Bowie, or wherever’s nearby. [Other municipalities] attack the crime there and move it down here and that’s a large part of trying to get rid of crime.”

However, lowering the number of incidents in an area does not rest solely on the police. Lawson noted that areas with a stronger liaison with the police tended to have fewer incidents of crime — a statistic that is part of a nationwide trend — so the police encourage residents to form neighborhood watch groups.

Center and East Greenbelt have well-established neighborhood watch programs, as they have more settled residential communities, Lawson said. However, the Franklin Park area’s neighborhood watches have come and gone over the years. Its population tends to be more transient, with tenants comprised of groups such as college students and temporary workers, according to Lawson.

“So they’re not as vested in the community because they’re not rooted here,” Lawson said. “It’s a lot harder to reach out and get them to understand why it’s so important that they work with the police department to try and curb crime.”

Editor's Note: This post is a part of a in Prince George's County. Click here to see more stories on the Crime Conundrum.