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Bowie police report staffing gaps and spike in property crimes; thefts from vehicles rose late 2024
Summary
Bowie Police Department officials on Feb. 3 reported eight sworn vacancies and marked increases in property crimes — notably commercial burglaries and thefts from vehicles — in late 2024.
The Bowie Police Department told the City Council on Feb. 3 that staffing shortages and a regional property-crime pattern contributed to a marked rise in thefts and commercial burglaries late in 2024.
The police chief reported the department is authorized for 67 sworn officers and currently has eight vacancies; six other officers were out on limited duty, no duty or administrative leave at the time of the report. "We currently have 8 vacancies for the position sworn officer position," the chief said, and added that five recruit officers were in the academy and that the next class is expected in the spring.
Crime trends: The department recorded an overall increase in property crime in 2024, with commercial burglaries climbing from 27 in 2023 to 51 in 2024, according to the chief. He reported large increases in thefts from vehicles in November and December 2024 (for example, theft-from-vehicle incidents rose from 10 in Nov. 2023 to 47 in Nov. 2024, and from 16 in Dec. 2023 to 40 in Dec. 2024). The chief said many incidents occurred overnight and appeared to be linked to activity along Route 50 and the 301/197 corridor; he told the council investigators believe some suspects travel into the city from other jurisdictions.
Department response: The chief said investigators and community-services personnel are assisting patrol to respond to the trend, and staff have pursued targeted interventions and enforcement strategies that the chief declined to detail in public. The department has engaged in community outreach and distributed steering- or wheel-lock devices obtained from manufacturers to owners of particular vehicle makes that were being targeted in thefts.
Council members asked for follow-up and for charts and spreadsheets to analyze location and time patterns; the chief offered to provide mapping and data for off-line review. Council and staff also discussed expanding traffic-camera deployment and other technologies as components of enforcement and prevention.
Ending: The chief said recruitment efforts were active and that filling vacancies remains a priority so the department can restore proactive units and regular patrol coverage.
