Storm leads to lull in crime

If there is one bright spot from the storm that wreaked havoc across the East Coast, it is that the snow and wind also brought a lull in crime.

“The streets were empty,” said detective Donny Moses, a spokesman for the Baltimore Police Department.

Criminals stayed home, too.

Millions remain snowbound after historic storm

Record-busting snowfalls brought much of the region to a virtual standstill, shutting offices, airports and mass transit. It also put a dent in crime.

Washington, D.C., — where the storm shut the federal government Monday and emptied the streets — reported a 50% decline in crime over the weekend, according to Lt. Sean Conboy, a police spokesman.

He said police response times only increased slightly despite the weather.

In New York, where work crews continued Monday to clear streets and get mass transit up and running, crime was also down, the department reported, though the agency did not provide specific numbers.

Philadelphia also reported a decline in police activity over the weekend, said officer Christine O’Brien, a department spokeswoman.

Crime wasn’t completely eradicated, however. “We did have a couple of shootings,” O’Brien added.

In New York, where the city ordered motorists off the streets during the storm, the police department said it issued 25 citations to motorists who violated the ban and made one arrest for drunken driving.