Corona del Mar meeting to discuss ‘rash’ of burglaries

The Corona del Mar Residents Assn. will present a town hall meeting Wednesday evening to discuss concerns about what it calls a “rash” of burglaries in the neighborhood.

Newport Beach police will send a detective and a crime prevention specialist to answer residents’ questions at the meeting, police spokeswoman Jennifer Manzella said.

Manzella said Police Department statistics show overall property crime in Corona del Mar is down this year compared with this time last year. Seventy-five property crimes were reported in the area from Jan. 1 to Aug. 7, Manzella said, compared with 93 in the same period in 2017.

However, police have investigated four more burglaries so far this year in Corona del Mar and have made six more arrests in burglary and theft cases.

Manzella said recent burglaries may have generated more discussion than usual online and elsewhere in the community, creating the impression of a crime wave that isn’t evident in data.

Wednesday’s town hall will run from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Oasis Senior Center, 801 Narcissus Ave.

Daniel Langhorne is a contributor to Times Community News.