Orange : Serious Crime Up More Than 5% in ‘84, After ’83 Decline

The number of serious crimes in the city rose 5.46% in 1984, a reversal of the statistics for the previous year, when the crime rate dropped 15.5%, police officials reported.

The serious-crimes category includes homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, felony theft and auto theft, police Lt. Michael D. Parker said.

Parker noted, however, that the number of homicides, rapes and assaults all decreased in 1984.

Traub said the overall increase indicated a “leveling off” from the crime-rate decline of 1983 but is nonetheless a “source of concern” for the department.

The report shows two homicides reported in 1984, compared with six in 1983 and six in 1982. Rapes also decreased. In 1984, 29 were reported, compared with 39 the previous year. Assaults also decreased, the report shows.

Major property crimes rose in 1984 from the previous year. Theft, the most frequently reported crime, totaled 3,016 cases in 1984, compared with 2,910 thefts reported in 1983. Property losses totaled more than $5 million in ‘84, but police increased their property recovery by 18% over the previous year.

Burglary, the second most common crime, totaled 1,551 reports, compared with 1,310 break-ins in 1983. Of the 1,551 burglaries reported in 1984, 12%, or 181, were in garages, 37%, or 579, were in businesses, and 51% or 791 were residential.

Auto thefts decreased, from 440 in 1983 to 410 last year.

Traffic accidents were up, from 2,514 in 1983 to 2,804 last year, Parker said, but he noted that fatal accidents and those involving drunk drivers decreased.