MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (7News) — The Montgomery County Police Department recently presented new crime data to county council members.

7News spoke with Deputy Chief Nicholas Augustine, who said there has been a significant drop in crime overall.

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7News took a closer look at data from the first three quarters of this year and found that while homicides are down 46 percent, there have already been more this year than in 2019.

Car diversions are down 44% from last year, but more of them occurred in 2024 than in 2019.

Shoplifting is up 18% from last year, but more than before the pandemic.

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“We have seen an increase in crime from 2019 to 2024, but there are several factors that play into that. You’re looking at economic factors, things that are not controlled by law enforcement. You look at inflation, how does that affect retail theft?” said Augustine.

He explained that businesses are reporting more incidents of theft now than before the pandemic, which could contribute to the increase in theft cases.

Augustine said officers work directly with retailers to catch the people who commit the crimes.