UMD Diamondback criticizes poor crime reporting by PG Police

STAFF EDITORIAL: County: Do the time and track the crime
Prince George's County Police must track crime by municipality so that city residents and students know the truth.

April 19, 2005

It’s understandable that students and city residents could be unnerved after learning of Thursday’s early morning attempted robbery along Route 1 near Hartwick Road that ended in the victim being pistol whipped. After all, this was the 16th known off-campus robbery in College Park this year (there were nine known all of last year). There could be many more crimes — but we don’t know because Prince George’s County Police refuse to track or regularly release College Park’s crime statistics. With tracking adjustments, county police could provide timely information to their colleagues in University Police and to city residents about crime in College Park and help them be on alert for possible threats. Other modern police departments are able to do this. It’s about time county police did, too.

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