Police, sheriff say domestic violence is driving recent crime increases in Prince George's County

Prince George's County Police Chief Malik Aziz told the Board of Health panel that domestic violence has been a primary factor in recent increases in violent‑crime metrics in the county. Aziz said domestic‑violence incidents are "ticking up" and estimated the rise has put violent crime into the range of "a positive 4, positive 5%" year over year.

"900 overnight almost 1000 cases of domestic violence this year alone, which is almost a 100 more than what we had last year," Aziz said, emphasizing the volume of cases that responders see and the strain that places on prevention and response systems. Aziz called for stronger partnerships between police, courts and social‑service providers and said arrest alone will not solve the problem.

Sheriff John Carr said the sheriff's office similarly sees high volumes of protective orders and frequent repeat incidents that require a holistic response to both survivors' needs and offender accountability. "We are still averaging around 2,000 piece and protective orders here in Prince George's County a month," Carr said, and he urged systems that provide a consistent "hot handoff" of survivors to services and follow‑through for offenders.

Both officials recommended combining prevention and accountability work—investing in youth and community prevention while ensuring law enforcement and prosecutors have consistent processes and dedicated resources for family‑violence cases. They suggested forming a standing task force to coordinate partners and improve outcomes rather than relying solely on competitive grants.