Homicides and opioid overdoses in Frederick, Maryland decreased in 2024, report shows
The number of homicides and opioid overdoses decreased in the City of Frederick between 2023 and 2024, according to a report from the police department.
The Frederick Police Department's annual report showed a 56% decrease in overdoses, with nine fatal overdoses and 31 non-fatal overdoses reported in 2024.
The report also details a drastic 71% decrease in homicides with seven cases reported in 2023 and two reported in 2024.
"This year has been marked by significant progress, a few challenges, but most importantly a continued commitment to enhancing public safety and fostering trust within our community," Frederick Police Chief Jason Lando said in the report.
The city reported increases in some crimes, like a 20% rise in aggravated assault cases and a 26% increase in weapons violations. Sex offenses also increased by 14%, according to the report.
However, the report shows that overall crime was down by 4% between 2023 and 2024.
Crime down between 2019 and 2024
The report also shows a drastic decrease in several crime categories between 2019 and 2024.
The department partly attributed the progress to its Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program, which launched in 2022.
The LEAD program offers a "compassionate approach to individuals who are in a tough place in their lives, many of whom are struggling with substance use disorder," according to the report.
Through the program, police provide treatment services to low-level offenders, instead of arresting them. This allows for long-term recovery and reduces recidivism, the department said.
Between 2019 and 2024, Frederick reported a 93% reduction in overdoses. The city also reported a 98% reduction in alcohol complaints and a 93% decrease in drug complaints.
According to the report, instances of littering, panhandling and soliciting were all down by 100% between 2019 and 2024.
Crisis Response Team
As with many other law enforcement agencies across the U.S., the Frederick Police Department has established and grown its Crisis Response Team in recent years.
The team, created in the spring of 2021, responds to mental health crises in the city. The team is comprised of a police officer, a paramedic and a mental health clinician.
The concept of Crisis Intervention Teams popped up in the 1980s after a man with a history of mental illness and substance abuse was fatally shot by a Memphis Police officer, according to the National Institutes of Health.
The approach has become increasingly popular for police departments across the country, especially as mental health awareness increases.
According to a 2015 report from the Treatment Advocacy Center, about one in four deadly law enforcement shootings involve people with a serious mental illness.
The report shows that the risk of being killed while being stopped by law enforcement is 16 times higher for those with untreated serious mental illnesses.
Frederick Police said its Crisis Response Team ensures that individuals in crisis get the necessary medical attention, mental health support and law enforcement assistance that they need. The team responded to 246 related incidents in 2024.
