JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. –
Just over 20 years ago, the National Civic League indentified the Prince George's County community as an all-American community, one of the eight jurisdictions that were named such nationwide.
Since then, Prince George's County has collectively strived to advance its community members, businesses and nonprofit organizations as they work together to address critical local issues.
"We must strive again to be recognized as one of the best places to live, work and raise a family," said Jim Estepp, president and chief executive officer of Greater Prince George's Business Roundtable. "Nothing in our past eliminates Prince George's from attaining this lofty status a second time."
Prince George's County is an exceptional place for Joint Team Andrews members as well as servicemembers and civilians from the National Capital Region to reside since it is both close to one of the most high-profile installations in the military and full of every necessity.
"Exactly three years prior to my retirement from the Navy in 1993, I purchased a home in the Woodbury sector of Temple Hills, Md.," said Bobby Jones, Comprint Military Publications photojournalist and long-time resident of Prince Georges County. "Living in the Prince George's County community for the past 17 years has presented a serene environment to raise my two daughters in."
Though the county was hit hard alongside the nation with the recent economic downturn, Prince George's County has continued to move forward.
The county's overall business sales have increased since 2004, the monetary value of construction projects in the county has increased since 2006 to 2008, and, since 2005, the number of both commercial and residential properties has increased, according to the State of Maryland Comptroller's Office, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments and the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation.
With the county's teachers increasing in numbers as well as in their qualification levels to the point that 82 percent were highly qualified in 2009, students are rising to meet the new higher standards that a Prince George's County education provides, according to the Maryland Department of Education. In 2009, the graduation rate among high schoolers was 84.56 percent, well over the 69.2 percent national average. "Highly qualified" is a term defined by the nation's No Child Left Behind Act as having a bachelor's degree and full state certification.
Though it isn't widely known due to the fact that crime in the county is highly publicized, the crime rate has dropped in Prince George's County over the years. Since 2005, motor vehicle theft has decreased 50 percent and homicides have decreased nearly a third - a nine-year low according to the FBI Crime Report.
"For far too long now, Prince Georgians have been unable to pick up a newspaper or look at a news Web site without reading about something negative happening in our neighborhoods and to our businesses," said Mr. Estepp. "The people of this county - and the entire region - are owed the actual truth regarding how the county is doing with respect to our progress and achievements."
Prince George's County firefighters have worked very hard over the years to eliminate fatalities, injuries, and property losses caused by fires. Since 2004, the number of fire fatalities has dropped from 19 to four, and the number of civilian injuries has dropped from 45 to 21, according to the Prince George's County Fire Department. Since 1987, when the Prince George's County Council approved a law that required the installation of residential sprinkler systems in all new single and two-family homes built in the county, there have been no fire deaths and six civilian injuries in structures protected by residential sprinkler systems. Also, since 1987, there have been less than half of the average reported property damages in homes with sprinkler systems, all according to a study produced by the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition, the University of Maryland University College, the Prince George's County Fire Department and the Maryland State Fire Marshal's office.
With 39 community centers, 83 community parks, 90 miles of hiking and biking trails, 62 neighborhood playgrounds and 241 total playgrounds in the area according to the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission in April, 2008, coupled with the fact that the county is host to Joint Base Andrews, and the National Capital Region, makes Prince George's County an area with a seemingly unending source of activities.
With all of the vast opportunities and an improved quality of life in Prince George's County, it's no wonder that the community's residents are permanent in their location and peace of mind.
"Overall, my experience in raising my family-now including five grandchildren-in Prince George's County as well as the tri-state area has been rewarding," said Mr. Jones.