Spanish for: Howard County, located in central Maryland, is immediately adjacent to Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Prince George’s, and Montgomery counties. According to the 2000 census, the population is approximately 248,000 in primarily suburban and rural areas. Interstates 95 and 70 run through the county providing easy access for gangs and drug trafficking from Baltimore and Washington.
The largest gang in Howard County is Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13). Given the difficulties with data collection, it is difficult to quantify gang activity and crime. It is challenging to identify the gang members and to determine if a crime is gang motivated or not. However MS-13, has been linked to graffiti and vandalism followed by robberies, theft, and auto theft. There have also been instances of serious crimes including murder, stabbing and rape, but the circumstances linking these to MS-13 have not been fully developed. There are a number of other gangs operating in Howard County including Bloods, Crips, Vatos Locos, Sur 13, Brown Pride Locos, 18th Street, Folks and Vice Lords.
If a parent is concerned about a child potentially being involved in gangs, the first resource is the child’s school counselor or pupil personnel worker. For a list of school telephone numbers, please consult list of schools.