Visualizations from the news story, “Fewer people want to become police officers. What can be done about it?”

I thoroughly enjoyed working on the investigative series "From local police to Private Guards: The Rise of the Security Guard Industry in Maryland."

When covering a highly controversial and sensitive topic, it’s essential to balance anecdotal stories and insights from industry professionals with data.

As a team, we kept hearing reports—on and off the record—about plummeting law enforcement numbers in Maryland. But what did the data reveal?

I led an analysis of FBI Crime Data to examine law enforcement personnel trends over time. Using a simple yet effective line chart, I highlighted a nearly 10% drop in law enforcement personnel in Maryland from 2019 to 2023.

One of the most striking findings emerged from 2021, the year Maryland passed the Police Accountability Act, overturning 50 years of protections for officers against prosecution. Many officers, fearing legal repercussions and a lack of support, described feeling caught in a "no-win" situation. The data confirmed this sentiment, revealing a record exodus of officers following these legislative changes.

Digging deeper, I analyzed law enforcement numbers by county. The results showed sharper declines in rural counties compared to a more moderate drop in urban areas. However, we also suspected some jurisdictions were underreporting their numbers. Without concrete evidence or official statements, we had to rely on reported data from the FBI database.

We also had reason to believe that some juridications were underreporting their numbers, but without concrete evidence and statements on the record, we could only use what was reported in the FBI database.

The series was published in the Baltimore Banner, with all graphics designed to align with their style guide. This project reinforced the importance of combining data-driven insights with narrative storytelling to address complex, timely issues.