The Washington Examiner reports that Prince George’s County, which borders the District, has seen half the number of homicides in the first six months of 2012 as were reported in the first half of 2011.
Homicides have dropped nearly 50 percent in Prince George’s County so far this year from the first six months of 2011, marking a drastic reduction that county police and public safety officials hope to maintain for the next six months.
County police are investigating 28 homicide cases, 26 of which occurred in 2012. Compared with a year ago, when the department was handling 54 homicide cases, the homicide rate has been reduced by 48 percent.
The drop in killings is steep for a county that has seen a steady number of homicides for the last three years, when more than 90 people were killed annually. And 117 people were killed in 2008.
The story notes that January 2011 was especially grisly, but the murder rate slowed later in the year. Read the full story here.
