Violent crime has dropped by 11% in Anne Arundel County this year, according to Executive Steuart Pittman.

Additionally, he told county residents in his state of the county speech Monday, community health programs have been strengthened and they have gotten more control over land use decisions.

In a speech that could serve as part of Pittman’s re-election campaign, he repeatedly thanked the four Democrats on the County Council for voting with him to create a new program to fund county school construction, to increase the police pay and training and to add new firefighters.

He said firefighters and paramedics have told him how much harder the COVID pandemic has made their jobs and added they would “tell you that this administration and our four public safety conscious allies on the county council have made the tough decisions that delivered 50 desperately needed new firefighters.”

He called the Democrats the “forward thinking four” who supported his land use plan and warned about attempts to use wedge issues to instill fear and resentment in this election year.

“If the message you hear is that efforts to uplift some of us will cause harm to the rest of us, if that’s what you’re being told by your leaders or wannabe leaders, please, whatever your political persuasion, take the time to check in with your moral compass,” he pleaded. “Civility, respect, and empathy toward one another truly are the paths to making our county the best place for all.”