Hagerstown Homicide Rate Growing Faster than Baltimore

HAGERSTOWN, MD News (3/7/2024 ) – During the recent State of the City Address, Hagerstown’s Chief of Police, Kifer, sought to reassure citizens regarding the city’s crime situation. However, a closer look at the data paints a different picture.

According to the FBI Crime Data Explorer and population figures from Neilsberg.com, Hagerstown saw a 3.2% increase in per-capita violent crime from 2021 to 2022, reaching 709.4 incidents. Similarly, the homicide rate surged by 99.7%, reaching 18.3 incidents per capita. Comparatively, Baltimore faced per-capita violent crime rates at 1554.7 incidents, and its homicide rate increased by 73%. Maryland as well as the United States as a whole, experienced a decrease in violent crime, contrasting with Hagerstown’s upward trend.

	2020	2021	2022
Hagerstown	6.9	9.2	18.3
Baltimore	56.6	29.1	50.4
Maryland	9.1	11	8.5
United States	6.5	6.8	6.3

While Hagerstown’s crime rates remain lower than Baltimore’s, they significantly surpass state and national averages. Of particular concern is the sharp rise in violent crime, notably homicides, which outpaced Baltimore’s increase by 26.7%. Chief Kifer suggested that the city’s crime primarily consists of minor offenses like vagrancy and theft from unlocked cars. However, the data reveals a troubling surge in violent crime rates which needs to be urgently addressed.

Hagerstown’s population remained relatively stable around 43,000, indicating that the crime increase isn’t due to demographic shifts. As neighboring areas witness a decline in violent crime, Hagerstown’s escalating rates demand urgent attention.

While the city administration may downplay the severity of the situation, unchecked crime escalation poses a significant threat to public safety. Addressing these challenges promptly is essential to safeguarding the community’s well-being and preserving Hagerstown’s reputation as a safe place to live and work.

Story by multiple RFHC contributors