Credit – Office of the State’s Attorney for Anne Arundel County
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Violent crime in Anne Arundel County saw a significant drop in 2024, with reported decreases in homicides, carjackings, shootings, and rape, according to the annual report released by State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess. Police investigated just 10 murders last year — the lowest number in more than a decade.
“As I continue my second consecutive term as the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney, I reflect on the past year and the accomplishments of our Office and partners in local law enforcement in keeping the people of this great county safe,” Leitess wrote in the introduction to the 2024 report.
Among the year’s most high-profile prosecutions was the sentencing of MTA Light Rail operator Tavon Smith, who received 18 months in jail after a fatal crash that killed 17-year-old Lamar Paterson as he drove to high school. Leitess said the crash was caused by the operator’s failure to follow required safety procedures.
“It was determined the Defendant waited just a few seconds upon stopping at the previous station, so the safety gates didn’t deploy in time to warn Lamar as he drove through the railway crossing,” she said. “Had the Defendant followed the rules, this tragic death could have been prevented.”
Prosecutors also secured convictions in a range of serious cases, including:
- A 30-year sentence for a woman who fatally shot a Severna Park father in a targeted daylight attack.
- A 55-year sentence for a Crownsville man in the fatal and non-fatal shootings of two men during a construction company gathering.
- A life sentence for a Tracy’s Landing man who murdered his mother, a well-known cybersecurity executive.
- A 15-year sentence for a man who struck three pedestrians and rammed a parked SUV with two women inside following an altercation outside Cancun Cantina.
- Sentences for multiple sex offenders, including a karate instructor, a repeat flasher, and a man convicted of abusing a child in his household.
The report also emphasizes the Office’s efforts outside the courtroom, including participation in National Night Out, prevention seminars in schools and churches, and victim support initiatives during National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.
“I am honored for the opportunity to serve as the leader of an Office composed of a dynamic team of attorneys, victim witness advocates, case managers, paralegals and investigators who work tirelessly and with such dedication to victims of crime,” Leitess wrote.
The full 2024 Annual Report from the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office can be viewed below.
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The post Anne Arundel County Reports Decline In Violent Crime, Highlights Notable 2024 Prosecutions appeared first on The BayNet.
