Prince George's County Residents Sound Off on Safety Issues

PRINCE GEORGE'S 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 Prince George's 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:

• "Traffic and the students at Bowie high just walking into the street without looking."
• "Pedestrian crime."
• "Stray walkers and deer on 301"
• "Speeding!!! I don't feel safe crossing Belair Dr pass the Annex because people start speeding again as they pass the school/speed camera. I don't understand why there is such a need to do 50 in the neighborhoods. I'm tired of it!"
• "Guns"
• "Speeding on Stonybrook Drive"
• "The shootings"
• "School buses."

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 Prince George's 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 Bowie Patch Facebook page.