Serious crime decline continued in 2017: Ocean City Police

Serious crime continued to decline in Ocean City in 2017, according to the police department’s annual report.

The department said in a news release that in 2017, Ocean City experienced an overall average decline of 13 percent in serious crimes over the previous five years, and a 2.5 percent decrease from 2016. 

The report said that while there was a spike in rape and robbery incidents in 2017, crimes such as assaults, burglary and thefts showed significant declines.

“In 2017, we continued to see the lowest crime rates we’ve seen in over a quarter century,” said Chief Ross Buzzuro. 

“This is a true testament to the hard work of the men and women of this department. Our personnel are dedicated to the safety of everyone in this city and that is proven by the stories and statistics within this report.”

According to the report, “nearly 60 percent of the crime that occurred in 2017 took place in June, July and August.”

The report also showed that officer-initiated calls for service increased by over 10,000. Overall, the department responded to 77,327 calls for service.

The increase in officer-initiated calls was was due in large part to the increase in number of seasonal police officers, the expansion of the public safety aide position, and the proactive nature of the Patrol Division, police said in the news release.

There were three fatal traffic collisions in 2017, two involving pedestrians and the third involved a bicyclist, the report showed.

Two of the incidents occurred during the spring and fall version of Cruisin'. 

In May, a 23-year-old man was killed crossing Coastal Highway on 45th Street by a driver who was later charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.

In October, Thomas Lawlor of Ocean City died after being hit by Maryland state trooper on Coastal Highway.

More: Drunken driver to serve 6 years in fatal Ocean City crash during Cruisin'

More: Pedestrian in Ocean City dies after being hit by trooper during Cruisin' weekend

In 2017, OCPD officers were assaulted a total of 73 times, 13 of which resulted in an injury to the officer, the report showed.

In addition to crime and enforcement statistics, the report highlighted the OCPD’s renewed focus on community engagement in 2017, such as the Coffee with Cops events, an opiate addiction awareness event, and the first edition of trading cards featuring the OCPD Mounted Unit. 

The accomplishments of each of the department’s three divisions of the OCPD are also highlighted in the report.