Ocean Pines Police Report Fewer Crimes in 2018
The Ocean Pines Association is reporting a decrease in crimes, arrests and traffic incidents throughout the community in the year 2018.
The annual report聽finds Ocean Pines one of the safest cities in Maryland according to SafeWise with 103 total crimes, 21 violent crimes and 82 property crimes, with a crime rate of less than 1 in 1000 people reported.
The report says although there was a lower rate in crimes, the number of calls for service and traffic stops increased last year. Ocean Pines Police Chief Dave Massey says “I am happy to report a serious crime decrease, despite the fact that we handled over 13,500 service calls.” Service calls were up 10 percent, and traffic stops were up by 13.8 percent.
Despite the drop is crime, one sector of crime that saw an increase was burglary, however Ocean Pines Association Spokeswoman Denise Sawyer says many of the items stolen ended up being recovered, with arrests taking place.
Chief Massey says that traffic control is a major portion of the department’s activity, due to the fact that officers are tasked with covering nearly 80 miles of roadways, a significant feat for a small police department.
