Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Crime Data topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Annapolis police present 2024 crime figures: Ward 8 tops for vehicle thefts, NIBRS changes affect counts
Summary
Chief Ed Jackson and command staff detailed 2024 crime counts, explained a switch to NIBRS data collection that increases incident counts relative to older reporting, and addressed public information, recruitment and investigative responses to overdoses and gun violence.
The Annapolis Police Department briefed the Public Safety Standing Committee on 2024 crime data and operational priorities March 2025, highlighting that Ward 8 ranked differently across crime categories and that a national reporting change has altered how incidents are counted.
Chief Ed Jackson introduced command staff and outlined the department’s switch from the Uniform Crime Reports to the National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS), saying the new system counts all offenses in a single incident rather than using a hierarchy that registers only the most serious offense. “Now under the national incident based reporting system, we count everything. If it is 5 crimes committed in 1 incident, we count that,” Chief Jackson said.
Using the NIBRS framework, the department reported that Ward 8 ranked fourth overall among the eight wards for total crime in 2024. The department detailed category-specific counts and local patterns: motor vehicle theft was the single largest problem in Ward 8 (22 motor vehicle thefts), robberies numbered 12 (tied for first with Ward 6) with most incidents involving force by hand or firearms, and thefts totaled 89 with 37 recorded as shoplifting. On motor vehicle theft specifically, the department said 17 of the 22 vehicles were recovered and five remained unrecovered; seven thefts involved unlocked vehicles and ten were locked but recovered.
Chief Jackson and Captain Lamar Howard attributed a portion of the motor-vehicle-theft problem to unsecured property and to newer electronic methods of entry. “Not only your valuables left in these vehicles but the spare keys to operate these vehicles are also being left inside of the taken vehicles,” Captain Howard said. Chief Jackson added that electronic cloning devices can circumvent modern key systems and that he would ask the command staff to research and report back to the committee.
The department also described violent-crime trends and investigative practices. Aggravated assaults in Ward 8 were frequently domestic related; the chief characterized domestic incidents in residences as social problems that often require non-police interventions, while noting street and business incidents are the ones police can more directly address. The department reported one gunshot victim in Ward 8 so far this year and listed several recent “shots fired” locations along ward borders with Ward 6.
Committee members raised public-information and transparency issues. Several aldermen urged faster, clearer releases of incident updates and praised recent daily crime summaries, while also seeking more proactive Public Information Officer (PIO) capacity. Chief Jackson said the department will send its new PIO, Courtland Jackson, to training and that the APD daily report includes arrests and reported crimes; he emphasized withholding information only when it would compromise an investigation or public safety.
The briefing included recruitment and accountability topics. Staff said the department has actively recruited from larger regional departments and that Maryland’s Police Accountability Act requires background checks and can revoke certification for officers who leave while under investigation for serious misconduct. The APD described its background screening and use of the Maryland registry for prior personnel actions.
No formal votes or directives were adopted during the APD presentation; members asked for follow-up on vehicle-theft mechanisms (electronic cloning), continuing PIO improvements and clearer, neighborhood-oriented daily reporting.
