CHARLES 1999 CRIME REPORT

I want to take a minute at the start of a new era and underline some of the
successes Charles County enjoyed in the fight against crime in 1999, and
reiterate that as Charles County's primary law enforcement agency, we look
forward to working with county residents to build on those successes in the
new year.

First off, Charles County enjoyed a significant drop in nearly every
category of crime, as measured by the Uniform Crime Report. Though final
figures are not available as I write this, we know that last year the
county experienced the fewest homicides since 1986, underscoring our
commitment to stop violent crime. ...

The drop in auto thefts is another remarkable accomplishment. Thanks to
aggressive investigation and prosecution of those responsible for multiple
car thefts, and participation in theft prevention programs like Watch Your
Car, preliminary figures show that auto thefts dropped nearly 16 percent
last year. In 1995, there were 474 auto thefts in Charles County; final
figures for last year are being tallied but we expect there to have been
fewer than 300 auto thefts. ...

Just before Christmas, after a months-long, multiagency investigation
spearheaded by our narcotics detectives, we concluded the most extensive
drug bust in the history of Charles County. We are committed to keeping
drugs our of our neighborhoods, period.

Efforts in other public safety matters are also paying dividends. Through
state and federal grants, the agency obtained a new car seat installation
safety trailer. Eight officers are now fully certified to ensure that the
car seats that provide for the safety of our youngest residents are
properly installed. We've expanded our DARE program, one of a number of
ways we work with youths and schools in Charles County to educate them
about the dangers of drugs, alcohol, gangs and crime. Our alcohol
enforcement officers continue to take strong steps to stop underage
drinking. Our Volunteers in Community Service program provides alternative
sentencing options to thousands of people, including suspended high school
students. And our domestic violence unit continued to establish an
impressive record of providing counseling and protection to victims of
domestic abuse and assault.

In 1999 we continued to extend and strengthen our ties to neighborhoods and
communities throughout Charles County. Hundreds of people took part in our
crime watch and citizen on patrol programs, and thousands of people in
nearly 90 neighborhoods took part in National Night Out in August. ...
Three individuals - Nevins Frankel, Kevin Limrick and Ray Van Vuren - were
honored for their individual efforts to stop crime in their communities.
Together, we even worked to find a little boy missing in the woods of
Charlotte Hall.

Finally, we received support from across the political arena, from all
levels of government. ...

Overall, there was much to celebrate, but there is no time to rest. As a
new era opens, we must continue to look for opportunities to work together
in our common fight against crime. That's why I hope you will join me at
our Crime Watch kickoff Friday, Jan. 28, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Jaycee
Hall in Waldorf. ...

Frederick E. Davis, Charles County Sheriff, La Plata