Slight Increase in Total Crimes in ’84 Reported

For the first time in five years, the number of reported crimes committed in San Diego increased slightly in 1984, but the city’s overall crime rate--a figure that measures crimes per 1,000 residents--declined, Police Chief William B. Kolender said Wednesday.

Violent crimes associated with ever-present drug dealing and the continued availability of weapons were primarily responsible for the upsurge, Kolender said in presenting his department’s annual statistics to the City Council Public Services and Safety Committee.

The most noticeable increase was a 33.8% climb in homicides, due largely to the July 18 McDonald’s massacre in San Ysidro, where 22 people died. Overall, San Diego had 103 homicide victims during 1984, compared to 77 in 1983.

According to police records, there were 64,366 major crimes committed in San Diego during 1984, a 1% increase over the 63,737 crimes logged the year before. Aggravated assaults and vehicle thefts each rose about 16%, while burglaries dropped 5.6%.

San Diego police officers responded to 449,143 dispatched calls for service during the year while arresting 74,032 adults.

But the per-capita crime rate dropped 3.2% as the city’s population grew by 33,200 residents, Kolender said.

“There really are no major trends in these figures,” he said. “It does show we are on the job.”

Kolender said his 1,300-member department scored several successes in 1984. Among them:

The virtual eradication of prostitution along El Cajon Boulevard and Rosecrans Street. More than 1,700 prostitution-related arrests were made by vice officers citywide.

An 18% reduction in gang activity from 1983. There are still 24 known gangs in San Diego with a total membership of 1,056.

The solving of 76 crimes through anonymous tips provided by the recently initiated San Diego Crime Stoppers. The pay-for-information program, started in September, has resulted in 12 felony arrests and the confiscation of $1.1 million in cocaine.

Kolender said he was particularly pleased with progress made in 1984 by the department’s psychological services program, run by Dr. Michael Mantell and five interns. Between July, 1983, and December, 1984, Mantell and his staff conducted 2,827 counseling sessions with police officers.

The counseling may have prevented police officers who covered the San Ysidro massacre from being traumatized by the carnage they saw, Kolender said.

Kolender said a “special tactical action group” of nearly 30 officers will begin patrolling downtown streets this month to crack down on drug dealers, prostitutes and vandals. Depending on its success, a similar group may be deployed in the Hillcrest area later this year.

Also this month, the Police Department will unveil its new 14-dog canine unit. The dogs are expected to help protect officers while aiding in searches and crowd control, Kolender said.