OCPD releases 2016 crime report showing continuing drop in crime

The Ocean City Police Department released their annual report on crime Tuesday night, presenting their statistics to the mayor and city council.

Police say 2016 marked the second year in a row that Ocean City has seen historically low crime rates. Chief of Police Ross Buzzuro says after a 25-year low in serious crime in 2015, he commends all members of the department for the continued decrease in 2016.

According to the report, calls for service–a term that includes traffic stops, criminal events, security checks, or anything an officer has to do while on duty–fell by more than 10 percent from the previous year, dropping from 76,750 in 2015 to 68,630 in 2016. There were significant drops in aggravated assault, burglary, theft and motor vehicle thefts.

The report additionally shows officers needed to make fewer DUI arrests, 246 for 2016, down nearly 42 percent from 2015. Officers also made fewer total arrests compared to previous years.

Despite these highlights, Chief Buzzuro says the department is still faced with challenges. 2016 saw 14 reported forcible rapes, a 40 percent increase from the 5-year average, and a 47 percent increase from that average in reported robberies.

The entire 2016 annual crime report can be viewed at the Ocean City Police Department website.