Garden Grove : Special Anti-Crime Unit’s Record of Arrests Hailed

A special anti-crime program launched last fall by the Police Department was hailed Monday by a department spokesman as responsible for 209 arrests,

Police Lt. Don Antoine said TRAP (Tactical Responses Against Perpetrators) officers have made 119 felony arrests and 90 misdemeanor arrests since the program began Oct. 22.

TRAP was initiated in response to soaring increases in auto thefts, burglaries and robberies. While Garden Grove’s crime rate had declined steadily from 1978 to 1983, in the first nine months of 1984 auto thefts rose 40%, burglaries 25% robberies 13%, compared with the same period the previous year.

TRAP concentrates on surveillance of known drug users, truants and repeat criminals, the three groups responsible for about 90% of all serious offenses. TRAP officers also comb pawn shop files looking for stolen goods, patrol high-crime areas like Buena Clinton and stop suspects for the slightest driving infractions.

“We zeroed in on a particular population,” Antoine said. About 60% of those arrested by TRAP officers already were on parole or probation.

Citing statistics to prove TRAP’s effectiveness, Antoine noted that by the end of 1984, the increase in the number of robberies had declined to 14%, burglary stood at 15% and auto theft was down to 33%.

By the end of last month, the increase in the number of robberies was down to 4.4%, the burglary rate increase had further declined to 4%, and auto thefts had dropped to 6.4%--”acceptable increases,” Antoine said.

Because of the success, what started out as a 90-day experiment has been extended indefinitely, Antoine said.