City sees another decrease in crime

Greg Risling

COSTA MESA -- Statistics released Tuesday reflect another dip in overall

crime here during the first nine months of 1999, although murders and

rapes had increased.

The city posted a 19% decline in violent and property crimes compared to

the same time period in 1998 -- better than the state’s 14.7% drop.

Violent crime was slightly down from 1998 figures, only four-tenths of a

percentage point.

However, four people were killed in Costa Mesa last year, compared with

only one in 1999. All of the murder victims were children -- three of

whom were under the age of five. Reports of rape also increased from 13

in 1998 to 23 in 1999.

Police Chief Dave Snowden was pleased with the overall figures, but said

preventing murders and rapes is a difficult job.

“We were up in categories that we have little control over,” Snowden

said. “I don’t think the stats are a good measure of what we are doing.”

The city’s four homicides occurred over a four-week span in May and June.

Two toddlers were killed when a Santa Ana man ran them over on an East

Side playground.

A 15-year-old girl and her unborn fetus were fatally injured when a

gunman fired shots into the garage where she and her family lived. The

gunman was eventually caught after anonymous tips flooded police phone

lines.

Both suspects have been charged with murder.

Property crimes dropped significantly, according to statistics compiled

by the FBI for the state’s Department of Justice.

Police saw a 24% decline in burglaries and vehicle thefts.

Although murder and rape cases were higher than the previous year,

Snowden credited his department for their sleuth work. He said a

continual decline in crime has enabled police detectives to work on

murder or rape cases that have gone unsolved.

Police arrested a Huntington Beach man late last year who was allegedly

responsible for the February 1999 rape of a 35-year-old woman in Fairview

Park.

The man was suspected of other sex-related offenses, but he hanged

himself in Orange County Jail before he could be brought to trial.

SAFE AT HOME?

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FYI

Crime statistics for 1998 and 1999 (January through September):

1998 1999

VIOLENT CRIME

Homicide 1 4

Forcible rape 13 23

Robbery 93 79

Assault 127 127

PROPERTY CRIME

Burglary 434 360

Vehicle theft 434 295