ICYMI: Montgomery County Residents Sound Off on Safety Issues

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD– Sunday morning in Baltimore, a cruise ship crashed into a gangway, causing the gangway to fall and damage three cars underneath, according to a statement by Carnival to WBAL editor Mia Rosas.

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While worrying about death by rogue cruise ship isn’t something to lose sleep over, there are other possible dangers that affect Montgomery County residents.

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We asked Patch Readers what they thought the biggest safety issues were in their town. Here’s a list of the most pressing problems, from break-ins to traffic jams:

• "The home robberies. In the two neighborhoods I lived in there were homes where the owners were tied up and robbed. Scary!"
• "The divide between East and West Gaithersburg is the biggest hurdle to safety throughout the city. As resources dwindle and elected officials strive to impact their own neighborhoods, they have allowed the Olde Towne area to develop pockets of poverty which have deepened while nothing is being done to remedy it. Gaithersburg's economic director's agenda is all based on bio tech so it will not facilitate this change due to its scope being so narrow just like the elected officials vision. This lack of vision which caused this poverty is driving the wave of crime and violence which started the cycle and now is perpetuating it for the future."
• "Not sure if it's the biggest, but it's up there- folks selfishly driving and using their cellphones, whether it's talking or texting. For such an educated group of people, it's amazing that they don't get the stats. Infuriating"
• "Have you been to lake forest mall?"
• "...drivers - and pedestrians - using their phones. Another one is people speeding through neighborhood streets; I regularly see people go past our house at 35-40 mph (speed limit is 25), and there are lots of small kids out playing. It's enough to make me want to petition for speed bumps."

According to HealthGrove, a medical news site, dying by assault is more common in Maryland than many other states. There are 6.7 deaths per 100,000 in the state from assault, compared to 3.2 deaths per 100,000 for the country.

And it’s not just assault. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 442 traffic fatalities in 2014, thankfully down from 614 deaths almost a decade earlier.

But it’s not all bad in Maryland!

From lucky moms winning the lottery to animal success stories, plenty of good happens in your neighborhood.

Just last week, a humpback whale was spotted breaching in the Chesapeake Bay. Humpback whales may soon be moving off the endangered species list, where they’ve been since 1970, after an increase in population.

Each week, Patch works to bring Montgomery County residents the latest news from their area. Some good, some bad and some delicious.

Is there an problem that wasn’t mentioned? Share it with us in the comments below or on our Bethesda Patch Facebook page.