Who polices Ernstville, and what they report
Ernstville has no police department of its own: it’s an unincorporated community (a census-designated place) in Washington County. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office reports to the FBI for the parts of the county without police of their own, so there are no figures for Ernstville alone, and no Safety Grade.
What stands out about safety in Ernstville
Policed by the county
Ernstville is a census-designated place, with no town government. Crimes there are reported to the FBI inside the Washington County Sheriff’s Office’s totals for the county. County police ↓
Counts, not rates
The FBI doesn’t publish how many people the Washington County Sheriff’s Office covers, so its totals can’t be turned into a per-resident rate or a grade for Ernstville. County police ↓
The nearest graded towns
The closest Maryland towns with their own police figures are Hancock (B−, 9 mi), Hagerstown (D, 16 mi), Boonsboro (A, 21 mi). Nearby towns can differ a lot from Ernstville. Nearest ↓
Written from the FBI data on this page. Figures are crimes reported to police, not convictions.
What the Washington County Sheriff’s Office reports
Crimes reported to the FBI for the whole area the department covers, by year.
Reports to the FBI for the parts of Washington County without police of their own, which include Ernstville.
Property crimes
Violent crimes
Also reports crimes in Washington County to the FBI.
Property crimes
Violent crimes
2025 offenses reported by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office
Counts, not rates: the FBI doesn’t publish how many people each agency covers. FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Tables 10–11.
The nearest Maryland towns with a Safety Grade
Each town’s own police figures, per 1,000 residents a year, 2023–2025.
| Town | Grade | Distance | Violent | Property |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hancock | B− | 9 mi | 2.3 | 7.7 |
| Hagerstown | D | 16 mi | 6.7 | 23.5 |
| Boonsboro | A | 21 mi | 0.3 | 4.5 |
| Smithsburg | A− | 24 mi | 1.1 | 5.1 |
| Brunswick | B+ | 30 mi | 1.7 | 5.3 |
| Thurmont | A− | 33 mi | 0.8 | 5.3 |
Straight-line distance from the center of Ernstville. Nearby towns can differ a lot from Ernstville.
Ernstville and its neighbors
How reported crime compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its safety page.
| Town | Grade | Violent | Property |
|---|
Crimes reported to the FBI per 1,000 residents a year, 2023–2025.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- It’s reported crime. Only incidents reported to and recorded by police appear here. Many crimes are never reported to police.
- A county agency covers a wide area. Its totals mix many communities, so they say little about any one of them.
- Gaps are real gaps. A missing year means the department didn’t report a full year, not that nothing happened.
How the grade is calculated, for every town: How TownRatings grades safety →
Questions about safety in Ernstville
Is Ernstville, MD safe?
There is no Safety Grade for Ernstville. Ernstville has no police department of its own: it’s an unincorporated community (a census-designated place) in Washington County. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office reports to the FBI for the parts of the county without police of their own, so there are no figures for Ernstville alone, and no Safety Grade. The nearest Maryland towns with a grade are Hancock (B−, 9 mi), Hagerstown (D, 16 mi), Boonsboro (A, 21 mi).
Who polices Ernstville?
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office. Ernstville is an unincorporated community, and the department reports to the FBI for the parts of Washington County without police of their own.
Heads-up board
Neighbors looking out for each other in Ernstville.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Please don’t name or describe individuals. In an emergency, call 911.
Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: offenses known to law enforcement by city, and state and national rates. Counts are crimes reported to police, not convictions. The Safety Grade is our own summary of that data, not an official rating. Road deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2019–2023. This isn’t an official statement of public safety. In an emergency, call 911.