By Brian Carlton
Baltimore Sun
BALTIMORE — Homicides and nonfatal shootings in Baltimore County fell to five-year lows in 2025 as police reported record-high clearance rates, continuing a steady decline in violent crime.
The county recorded 28 homicides in 2025, down from 55 in 2021 — a 49% decrease — and marking the fifth consecutive annual drop. Nonfatal shootings also fell sharply, from 75 in 2021 to 41 in 2025, a decline of more than 45%.
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At the same time, the Baltimore County Police Department said it solved 26 of the 28 homicide cases in 2025, contributing to a 93% homicide clearance rate. Police also reported a 95% clearance rate for nonfatal shootings, with 39 of 41 cases cleared.
A clearance rate shows the percentage of reported crimes that police solve, either by making an arrest, filing charges, or closing a case under special circumstances. It’s often used to measure how effective police investigations are.
A downward trend for the county
Year-over-year data show a steady downward trend in killings: 55 homicides in 2021, 34 in 2022, 29 in 2023, 30 in 2024 and 28 in 2025. Clearance rates improved alongside that decline, rising from 48 cases cleared in 2021, an 87% rate, to 26 of 28 solved in 2025, a 95% rate.
Nonfatal shootings followed a similar pattern, dropping from 75 in 2021 and 76 in 2022 to 65 in 2023, 76 in 2024 and 41 in 2025, while the number of cases cleared increased overall during that span.
Police Chief Robert McCullough credited the reductions to a focus on prevention, community engagement and enforcement strategies.
“Preventing crime and holding those responsible accountable are both essential to maintaining safe communities across Baltimore County,” McCullough said, adding that patrol officers and detectives played a key role in responding to and solving cases.
The department said the combination of declining violent crime and rising clearance rates reflects sustained efforts to both reduce incidents and improve case outcomes, with homicide and nonfatal shooting clearances reaching their highest levels in at least five years.
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