Is one of Bethesda's Metro stations really the most dangerous subway stop in Montgomery County?
According to transit agency WMATA's 2012 crime report, yes.
In 2012, the Grosvenor station was the scene of 34 "Part I" (serious) crimes. The specific crimes were not detailed in the report. Part I crimes can include assault, arson, burglary, homicide, larceny, auto theft, attempted auto theft, rape and robbery.
No arrests were made at the scene of these crimes, according to WMATA's report.
Grosvenor hardly comes to mind as a crime-ridden area. And, in fact, a December 2012 crime report posted by WMATA lists no incidents at all for the Grosvenor stop. In contrast, the downtown Bethesda station had three minor incidents - 2 bicycle thefts, and an alcohol offense.
Yet Grosvenor was the only station in Montgomery County to make the Top 10 "Most Dangerous" stations in Maryland, in Metro's report.
It is also interesting to compare the Grosvenor crime stats to those of the Northern Virginia hot spot most oft-compared to Bethesda, Clarendon.
No Clarendon Metro stop even made the "Virginia's Most Dangerous List." The stations closest to Clarendon that did make the list were Ballston and Rosslyn. But even combined, both of those Arlington stations still had 14 fewer Part I crimes than Grosvenor. Most embarrassingly, Grosvenor had more Part I crimes than the "Most Dangerous" Metro station in Virginia, Franconia-Springfield, which had 32 to Grosvenor's 34.
According to Metro, your chance of being a victim of crime while in their subway system was about 6-in-a-million rides.
Do these crime statistics match your experience using the Grosvenor stop? Do you feel safe at the Grosvenor-Strathmore station?
I'm kind of surprised by this data, and welcome reader input on this topic in the comments below.
