SALISBURY, Md.- According to Wicomico County State’s Attorney Jamie Dykes, the number of murders in the county has doubled in 2024 compared to 2023.
Dykes says there are many factors to blame.
“The trend is multifaceted. The first is illegal possession of firearms whether it’s illegal based on age or by conviction Gang violence, desensitization to violence in popular culture, social media,’’ said Dykes. “There is a trend in society that people generally, especially our children, are held less accountable by their parents and by the systems that they come in contact with.”
Dykes says in 2024, two mothers have been murdered by their sons which she says is an anomaly. Dykes says the most troubling part of this trend is how involved the youth is in committing these crimes.
“They are more violent. They are fueled by very immature notions of disrespect they have access to firearms. This is a different generation of children than certainly I’ve experienced in my time as prosecutor,” said Dykes.
“Prosecutors, the court system, we cannot do this on our own. This is a community problem. When you see something, say something,” said Dykes.
Dykes says the public can also help by installing security cameras.
“The public can install cameras. Especially in high crime areas. Downtown, on your street it’s very low cost and it’s highly effective as a law enforcement tool,” said Dykes.