Is Silver Spring, MD Safe? 2025 Crime Rates & Statistics
Silver Spring real estate sits just north of Washington, D.C., and mixes a busy downtown with leafy neighborhoods, parks, and several transit hubs. Downtown Silver Spring is known for shopping, restaurants, and transit access, while nearby blocks feel more suburban. As with many city suburbs, safety depends on where and when you are; numbers help, but they do not replace local context.
What Are The Official Silver Spring Crime Rates?
Official counts for Silver Spring come through the Montgomery County Police Department and the county’s open-data systems. In a March 2025 press release, county police reported a 7.6% decrease in overall crime for the Downtown Silver Spring Business District from 2023 to 2024, with carjackings falling 68% in that span and robbery and homicide also down.
County-wide annual reports collect those incidents into district-level totals, and the 2024 MCPD Annual Report shows variation across districts and offense types, with property crime and theft categories concentrated in commercial corridors and transit nodes. The county’s crime incident map and datasets let you pull raw incident counts by date, beat, or ZIP code if you want to see the exact numbers for a block or season.
How Does Crime In Silver Spring Compare To U.S. Averages?
FBI figures show both violent and property crime trending down nationwide in 2024. Silver Spring followed that pattern, with declines in several key categories.
How Does Crime In Silver Spring Compare To Nearby Areas?
Nearby towns and neighborhoods to compare include downtown Washington, D.C., Rockville, and Takoma Park. Montgomery County reporting shows similar patterns across neighboring jurisdictions: commercial centers and transit hubs tend to record higher counts of theft and vehicle-related crime, while residential neighborhoods usually show lower overall incident totals. Looking at the county’s map by ZIP code or police beat offers the best way to compare Silver Spring to its neighbors.
How to Research Crime Data for Specific Neighborhoods in Silver Spring?
Montgomery County’s crime incident map is the most direct tool. You can filter by neighborhood, ZIP code, or time frame and export the results. Pair those numbers with the MCPD Annual Report for yearly context, and check local press releases for updates on trends like retail theft or carjackings. To put the data in perspective, divide incidents by local population estimates, which are available through state reporting dashboards.
Who Provides Law Enforcement and Emergency Services in Silver Spring MD?
The Montgomery County Police Department covers Silver Spring through its local district structure, with dedicated patrols for downtown business areas and adjacent neighborhoods. Fire and EMS response is provided by Montgomery County Fire and Rescue, which staffs stations around the Silver Spring area and coordinates with county dispatch for medical and fire emergencies. Local government pages list non-emergency contacts, records request procedures, and links to the county’s data tools for deeper reporting.
Is There A Community Watch in Silver Spring?
Yes. Neighborhood watch programs operate with county support, and community outreach includes safety briefings, business district partnerships, and local meetings. Residents can also sign up for countywide alerts through official channels to receive safety notifications.
FAQs
What kinds of crime are most common in Silver Spring?
Most reports in Silver Spring involve property crimes such as theft from cars, shoplifting, or other larceny. Violent offenses occur too, but they account for a smaller portion of overall incidents. Police data from recent years points to declines in both robberies and carjackings downtown.
Are carjackings a major problem in Silver Spring?
Carjackings drew attention in 2022 and 2023, but county reports note a sharp drop in downtown cases from 2023 to 2024, with police pointing to that broader decline again in 2025.
When was this crime data last updated?
The county’s March 2025 release covers trends between 2023 and 2024. The MCPD Annual Report and open-data portal provide the detailed 2024 numbers, while FBI Crime Data Explorer supplies the national baseline.
Where can I view a crime map for Silver Spring?
Montgomery County’s open-data portal hosts an interactive map where you can search by location, date, and offense. Some neighborhood groups also share simplified maps focused on local parks or business corridors.
Should I avoid downtown Silver Spring at night?
Downtown Silver Spring is a mixed-use district with restaurants, shops, and transit. Because it attracts more activity, police data shows it also sees more reported incidents. At the same time, county updates highlight recent declines in key categories. Using well-lit routes and paying attention to your surroundings is the same advice you’d hear in any busy urban area.