Washington, D.C. – Two reports released today by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) indicate positive trends in the metropolitan Washington region: crime is down and fewer children are entering foster care.

According to the 2009 Annual Report on Crime and Crime Control, Part I offenses – which include the violent crimes of homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault and the property crimes of burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle theft – were down by 7.98 percent in 2009 as compared to 2008. The reduction in crime trends was seen across all parts of the region – the District of Columbia, suburban Maryland, and Northern Virginia. Crime rates have been falling nationally, though the drop was sharper in the metropolitan Washington region.

The annual report, which includes data and analysis regarding violent and property crimes throughout the region and provides a year-over-year comparison of crime trends, was composed by COG’s Police Chiefs Committee and presented at the monthly meeting of the COG Board of Directors.

Alexandria Mayor William Euille noted the positive, if surprising, finding. “As the economy continued to deteriorate, we were all worried that we would see a corresponding rise in crime,” Euille said. “This report indicates otherwise.”

To view/download the 2009 Annual Report on Crime and Crime Control, click here.

Following the presentation of the crime report, Gloria Brown, Director of the Prince George’s County Department of Social Services, presented findings from the 2009 Annual Foster Care Report for the National Capital Region.

The report shows that the number of children entering foster care in the region fell by more than 16 percent from 2008 to 2009. All but two of the jurisdictions covered in the report saw a drop in the number of children entering foster care from the previous year.

As Brown noted at the meeting, the number of children entering foster care nationally has declined over the past ten years and the metropolitan Washington region is on pace with the national trend.

In May, COG and the Freddie Mac Foundation teamed up to launch “Kids Need Families Like Yours,” a campaign aimed at recruiting more foster care families in the region. The campaign was successful in raising awareness and increasing calls of interest from prospective foster care parents. 

To view/download the 2009 Annual Foster Care Report for the National Capital Region, click here.