OCEAN PINES – A national trade association of home security professionals has named Ocean Pines as “Maryland’s safest city” for 2017 based on per capita violent crime statistics from around the state.
In a rankings report released by the National Council for Home Safety and Security on Monday, Ocean Pines received the No. 1 spot for “Maryland’s safest cities.” According to the organization, Ocean Pines has .49 violent crimes – or crimes against people – for every 1,000 individuals, lower than the state average of five violent crimes per 1,000.
The rankings list, according to the council, was compiled using FBI crime reports, population data and other research conducted by the organization.
Denise Sawyer, director of marketing and public relations for the Ocean Pines Association, said the news reflects the efforts of both the police department and vigilant community members.
“We are very proactive with our approach to crime fighting,” she said.
Sawyer explained that Police Chief David Massey and his department do their job to inform residents, particularly the elderly population, of any ongoing scams or recent crimes.
“He does a good job with keeping the community abreast,” she said. “If the neighbors see something suspicious, they will report it.”
Massey said he credits the neighborhood watch program, crime alerts and a consistent community for the honor.
“We have a very good criminal investigation section where we follow up with all of our crimes,” he said. “Our population is fairly stable, so our police officers are knowledgeable about who is in the community. Luckily we have been able to identify people early.”
Massey explained that most crimes that occur in Ocean Pines are against property, but added that the community in not immune to violent crimes – rapes, robberies, and the like.
“We are lucky in the fact that our problems are of the property nature,” he said.
Yet, he added that police officers work around the clock to ensure both community members and their property are safe.
“There is no substitute for hard work and knowing your community,” he said.
The distinction was a surprise to officials, according to Sawyer, who had discovered the announcement online.
“It was a pleasant surprise,” she said.
This will not be the first time Ocean Pines has received this sort of honor, according to Sawyer. Last year, the community received a similar recognition from safewise.com.
“It’s an awesome honor to have once again,” she said.
Other top-ranking cities in the report include Taneytown, Glenarden, Bowie and Hampstead. The City of Salisbury also made the list, ranking No. 29 out of 30.
“The recent report conducted by the National Council for Home Safety and Security reflects the continuation of our efforts to move our community forward and to provide our membership with a family-friendly environment,” Sawyer said.
