Related Links > Interactive Map of Eldersburg with Crime Locations > Commissioner Zimmer's responses to questions about crime in Eldersburg (Apr. 11, 2007) > Eldersburg Crime Report (Recently reported Eldersburg crimes) > Your Feedback on Eldersburg Crime Wanted

Eldersburg Crime Review 2007
Updated September 21, 2007

Crime in Eldersburg has never been a problem—or at least one that is hardly if ever addressed. When one thinks of Eldersburg, usually they think of a quiet place with a constantly growing population and good education. If you go back only a few short years into Eldersburg history, you would hear about a place surrounded mostly by farmland.

Brad Garber, an Eldersburg resident, remembered how rare crime was in years past. “When I first moved here it was all farms. No one locked their doors.” Garber is a local business owner who has live In Eldersburg for 44 years; he moved here in 1963.

The Increase in Crime

Over the past few years, however, the crime rate in Eldersburg has increased steadily in both property and violent offenses. Despite the growth rate of these offenses, the most present concerns of citizens still seems to be business expansion and water treatment. If residents continue to ignore these criminal occurrences it will become a real problem in the near future.

Already this year, the local K-Mart store had to evacuate due to a bomb threat, and KFC actually had a bomb explode, as well as a number of petty crimes have occurred at stores across Eldersburg. In December of 2006 an officer was shot when trying to apprehend a suspect of a home invasion. The same week, a family was held hostage and their son was kidnapped.

Growth is to Blame?

As the population increases in Eldersburg, it seems the crime rate increases as well. “When I moved here, there were only four businesses and not many homes,” remembered Garber, who is among many who also believe that the town’s growth affected the crime rate. “The dramatic population increase caused this.”

“Crime does tend to increase with increased population,” said Carroll County Commissioner Michael Zimmer. “It is critical to maintain certain minimum thresholds in law enforcement ratios relative to population. As we continue to grow in population, we must add sworn officers.” Sheriff Ken Tregoning and State’s Attorney Jerry Barnes also confirmed the growth-crime correlation. The ratio of officer to citizen is, according to Commissioner Zimmer, 1.3 officers per 1,000 people.

What the Police Can Do

Eldersburg has no police department of its own, but it is covered by Carroll County Sheriffs as well as a Maryland State Police office located next to the library. “The Resident Trooper program however is capped,” informed Commissioner Zimmer. This program is costly for taxpayers and requires the county to reimburse the State 119% of the direct cost of Troopers.

Unless Eldersburg is made official and is an incorporated town, it will have no city government and therefore no public services such as a police force. Currently, a study group is being created for the purpose of studying the pros and cons to creating a county-wide police force or expanding the Sheriff’s Office.

In April and May of 2007, crime prevention programs were hosted by the Maryland Police Training Commission of the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. The Maryland Community Crime Prevention Program (MCCPI) will send a crime prevention specialist to talk about gangs in the county. The topic of gangs has been an ongoing issue in Carroll lately. An open forum was held at Century High School in May to discuss the recent uprisings of gang activity and how to spot gang-like activity and behavior. Though it is interesting to note that most high schools in the area have tightened their dress code, banning all clothing items that may have given administration obvious clues to students involved in gang activity.

Commissioner Zimmer requests that he hear from the citizens before taking action. “I encourage all resident across the county to learn more about this issue and offer feedback before any decisions are made.”

Other links and important dates:

Interactive Map of Eldersburg with Crime Locations
May 2, 2007: Article about crime “bleeding over” into Eldersburg
March 27, 2007: Open Forum conducted at Century High School about gangs
March 8, 2007: Opinion piece about a possible county-wide police force
March 3, 2007: Sykesville department requests additional help for increasing crime
February 15, 2007: Sykesville burglaries on the rise
June 6, 2006: Scare about the date 6/6/06 force police to patrol county schools
August 31, 2005: Manhunt in Sykesville ends with death of suspect
May 2005: Inmate escapes from Division of Corrections Central Laundry facility

Your Feedback

"Due to increasing costs and the freeze in the Resident Trooper program, eventually our county will require a countywide police force, most likely serving under a non-elected Chief of Police. Regardless of when this happens, most of the crimes in our area will continue to be crimes of opportunity, where diligence by residents can remain the most effective deterrent. We must remain ever vigilant in order to keep crime in our community at bay. Refusing to believe that crime exists in our community is not an option. Report all suspicious activity and don't do things which make it easier to become a victim. For example, leaving your doors and windows open and unlocked or your car unlocked in a public parking lot is an open invitation for criminals to select you over another target. A well maintained and orderly place is a natural deterrent to crime, so the more we can make our community look like there are people who care and take pride in it, the less inviting it will be for crime to take root in our community." (October 1, 2007)

"I don't know if this is because I am numb to crime escalation, but I looked at this and went "Thank GOD" I live here. For the amount of population we have, and the % of that crime that came from outside the area here, I think we are pretty lucky. Unfortunately, that list of crimes since 2005 would be a list of crimes last week in my old county of residence). "

Crime Tables

KEY
Green Text Represents a low in crime or a high in crimes cleared
Red Text Represents a high in crime or a low in crimes cleared

1. From this data, it would appear as if crime in Carroll County as a whole is not experiencing much change. These offenses are limited, but recent numbers show a low for the most part in many areas for the past few years. These numbers have fluctuated, but there appear to be no trends and crime in Carroll County is neither rising nor falling.

2. While the increased population in the chart is good and shows expansion, the number of offenses and those cleared are lows as far as this chart goes. There appears to be a direct correlation between the population and crime. As one goes up, so does the other. This index strongly suggests that crime in Carroll County is definitely on the rise.

3. Again there is a significant increase in the total number of offenses and a low in the number of them cleared. The percent cleared has been declining since 2003. Eldersburg is under the jurisdiction of the State Police which makes these numbers more relevant than those of Carroll County as a whole. Murder still ceases to be an issue in Carroll, but Larceny and Theft, including motor vehicle, is continuing to increase. Other crimes seem to have no real trends, shifting up or down with little implication. However, these numbers hint that crimes in Carroll under the state police are becoming more and more prominent.

4. The Carroll County Sheriff’s Department cleared more crimes and a higher percent of crimes than before over the four years, but the number of offenses has increased along with it. Rape, robbery, breaking or entering, larceny/theft, and motor vehicle theft reached four year highs in 2005. This is the third report that would show that Carroll County Crime, and Eldersburg in effect, is increasing and will continue to do so.

Eldersburg.Net E-Mail Newsletter  Register to receive weekly updates about Eldersburg, MD news, contests, giveways, events, coupons, and more. Email:

Eldersburg Area Sponsored Links Wright Financial Group - Carroll County Mortgage Service - Home Mortgage Loans, Home Equity Loans, Refinance, More Peke Construction - Sykesville based home improvement services, decks, patios, more SearchCarrollCounty.com - Carroll County, Maryland Business Directory Kent Systems - Carroll County, MD carpet cleaning, upholstery cleaning, ceramic tile cleaning, and emergency water extraction Advertise Here - Promote your business on Eldersburg's #1 Web Site!

Eldersburg Area Business Cards Display your business card here