FORT WASHINGTON, Md. (DC News Now) -- According to data from Prince George's County Police on the county's website, crime in the county has gone down by 10% compared to this time last year. While this is a step in the right direction for residents, violent crime is still on the rise, up 4% from the previous year. Former D.C. police officer Jarriel Jordan, founder of Jacob's Ladder, said that while statistics aren't everything, they're still important. "You want crime to be as low as you can and try to reduce as much as you can," he said. "Especially this time of year as the temperatures are dropping, we just need to be mindful of everything, [even] the small stuff" Takoma Park police warn public about TikTok ‘Door-Kicking Challenge’ Jordan said that from his perspective working with the community, he can see that there's a safer Prince George's County from last year. The county has been implementing more programs and initiatives to combat crime over the past year - especially youth crime, something Jordan has been doing his own way with Jacob's Ladder. From working with teenagers, Jordan has experience in what it'll take to help stump this issue. Though the initiative helps, he said real progress comes from communication and trust between police and the community. "It's nothing like when the community comes together as a whole. So that's what we need to do is just make sure that we say any information both ways." Jordan said. "The citizens are sharing the information [with] the law enforcement officers, so they know exactly what's going on. The police also need to make sure they send that same information back to the citizens. So it's a two-way street." While the holidays are approaching, caution is being advised. Jordan said from his experience on the force, night-time robberies are troublesome around this time of year. He also said that while the statistics do seem to be trending in the correct direction, things can still happen and people should still be aware.