Here Are 10 Safest Cities In Maryland In 2018: Home Security Firm

The response by Maryland leaders after a student at Great Mills High School killed a girl and then himself in March 2018 was lauded by a national home security company for improving safety. SafeWise ranks America's safest cities using the latest FBI crime data; it has released its selections for the 10 safest Maryland cities, see below, and its praise for state leaders.

The student who shot two of his peers at Great Mills High School on March 20 fatally shot himself within three minutes, officials say. Great Mills gunman Austin Wyatt Rollins, 17, went to his high school parking lot in southern Maryland on March 20. He walked into school at 7:52 a.m. and approached his ex-girlfriend in the hallway five minutes later, fatally shooting her in the head. Jaelynn Willey, 16, had been in a relationship with Rollins that recently ended, officials said.

The St. Mary's County Sheriff Timothy Cameron said investigators believed Willey was targeted. The first round also hit fellow student Desmond Barnes, 14, in the leg. Just as Rollins shot himself, officials said the school resource officer fired a nonfatal shot that hit the gun in the boy's hand.

Anyone concerned about potential violence at schools in Maryland now has a way to alert authorities. Gov. Larry Hogan and the Maryland Emergency Management Agency in October announced the Safe Schools Maryland tip line was launched so anyone concerned about potential violence at schools in Maryland has a way to alert authorities.

The tip line — call 1-833-MD-B-SAFE (1-833-632-7233) — will be directed to specialists at MEMA, which will accept tips 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The 10 Safest Cities in Maryland

1. Hampstead: Population: 6,365; Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.31; Property crimes per 1,000: 7.38; Total crime: 4.26% violent, 95.74% property
2. Manchester: Population: 4,820; Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.41; Property crimes per 1,000: 3.53; Total crime: 11.76% violent, 88.24% property
3. Thurmont: Population: 6,507; Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.92; Property crimes per 1,000: 10.45; Total crime: 8.82% violent, 91.18% property
4. Bowie: Population: 58,631; Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.94; Property crimes per 1,000: 12.89; Total crime: 7.28% violent, 92.72% property
5. Glenarden: Population: 6,390; Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.41; Property crimes per 1,000: 10.49; Total crime: 13.43% violent, 86.57% property
6. Ocean Pines: Population: 12,207; Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.56; Property crimes per 1,000: 8.68; Total crime: 17.92% violent, 82.08% property
7. Taneytown: Population: 6,749; Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.78; Property crimes per 1,000: 9.19; Total crime: 19.35% violent, 80.65% property
8. Frostburg: Population: 8,601; Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.98; Property crimes per 1,000: 18.02; Total crime: 10.97% violent, 89.03% property
9. Bel Air: Population: 10,200; Violent crimes per 1,000: 2.16; Property crimes per 1,000: 25.00; Total crime: 8.63% violent, 91.37% property
10. Easton: Population: 16,689; Violent crimes per 1,000: 2.52; Property crimes per 1,000: 27.68; Total crime: 9.09% violent, 90.91% property

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Of safety efforts in Maryland, Safewise says, "Maryland leadership found a way to overcome the (Great Mills) tragedy and make the state even safer in the long run. In October the state announced a new tip line and app where people can report threats. It’s this kind of response that creates safe havens in Maryland. According to the 2016 FBI crime reports (the most recent data available), the 10 towns on our list all had a violent crime rate at least 45% less than the national average," the company said in a release.

The number one safest city on the list, Hampstead, experienced 93 percent less violent crime than the national average and 97 percent less than the state average. Another safe city on the list is Bowie, with a population just over 58,000. "For a city that size, you might expect to see crime rates rising and perhaps even matching some national or state averages. That’s not the case in Bowie, however. The city boasts a violent crime rate almost 80% lower than the national average and 91% lower than the state average," Safewise said.

Students, family members, parents, teachers, administrators, and other community members can anonymously report information to Safe Schools Maryland through several channels:

• Using the Apple app
• Using Google Play
• Online at www.SafeSchoolsMD.org
• Calling 1-833-MD-B-SAFE (1-833-632-7233)

Trained technicians will respond to reports 24/7, every day of the year. Then the tips will be assigned to local school safety personnel to take action, according to MEMA.

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