Bethesda Crime: Burglaries Down, Robberies Up

Residential burglaries are down 40 percent and robberies are up 9 percent from last year in the Montgomery County police second district.

The new crime statistics, which compare numbers from September 2012 with numbers from September 2011, were provided by Second District Commander Capt. David Falcinelli in a recent crime update.

Robbery cases are a "priority" for investigators, Falcinelli wrote.

The district includes Bethesda, Chevy Chase, and portions of Rockville and Kensington.

According to the update, residential burglaries are down 40 percent, commercial burglaries are down 32 percent, thefts from autos are down 9 percent and stolen cars are down 41 percent.

"Robberies are still up by 9 percent, but these cases continue to be a priority and our detectives continue to make arrests and have closed out many of these events," Falcinelli wrote in the update.

Police have recently arrested those they believe are responsible for three robberies in the Capital Crescent Trail tunnel that runs beneath Wisconsin Avenue. Two of those robberies -- during which victims were punched in the face -- are believed to be linked, Patch reported.

Street robberies have been reported elsewhere in Bethesda in recent months, including a Sept. 15 incident near Massachusetts Avenue during which a victim was sprayed with a substance that might have been pepper spray.

On Sept. 24, two suspects attempted to rob a man walking near Artery Plaza, police said.

Are you concerned about robberies in Bethesda? Are you taking extra safety precautions? Tell us in the comments.