Ranked No. 1 with 1.56 violent crimes reported

(Feb. 22, 2018) A newly released ranking of the safest cities in Maryland for 2018 positions Ocean Pines at the top of the list.

“Our officers are closely tied to their community,” said Ocean Pines Police Chief David Massey. “They take pride in serving our residents 24/7 and keeping our community safe.”

The largest residential community in Worcester County is ranked No. 1 for safety, with 1.56 violent crimes reported last year.

“This is huge. When anyone, anywhere asks the question, ‘What is the safest city in Maryland?’, word is going to get around that the answer is Ocean Pines,” said Ocean Pines General Manager John Bailey. “What great news for our community.”

The study, which was conducted by the National Council for Home Safety and Security, reviewed the most recent FBI Uniform Crime Report statistics along with the population data and internal research.

The crime rate study eliminated any cities that failed to submit a complete crime report to the FBI and removed cities with populations under 10,000.

The remaining cities were ranked based on the number of reported violent crimes (aggravated assault, murder, rape and robbery) and property crimes (burglary, arson, larceny-theft and motor vehicle theft) per 1,000 people.

Ocean Pines has the lowest number of violent crimes and property crimes per 1,000 inhabitants, according to the statewide study.

“Our department works closely with our law enforcement partners in Worcester County and we are constantly looking to share information about criminal activity both inside and outside Ocean Pines,” Chief Massey said.

Ocean Pines has a state-certified, full-service police agency that operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All sworn officers attend 23 weeks of intensive police training at the Eastern Shore Criminal Justice Academy in Salisbury. Upon graduation, all officers are certified by the Maryland Police Training Commission.

“What makes this designation even cooler is that, in this safest environment, OPA also provides great experiences for our residents and guests,” Bailey said. “From indoor and outdoor pools, golf, marinas, racquet sports, parks and a plethora of recreation programs – Ocean Pines has it all. Oh yeah, and we’re at the beach.”