Violent Death Rate in County Up in ’85

Violent deaths in Orange County rose in 1985 with a 25.7% increase in homicides, an 18.6% jump in traffic fatalities and a 5.1% rise in suicides compared to 1984, according to statistics released Friday by the county coroner’s office.

Homicides increased from 105 in 1984 to 132 last year, eclipsing the previous record of 119 set in 1980, the report said.

Chief Deputy Coroner Jim Beisner said the increase is “a little bit high, but I don’t know if I’d call it alarming.”

“We’ve had yearly increases of 10%,” he said, “but 25% is certainly noticeable.”

Neither Beisner nor Sheriff’s Department spokesman Lt. Dick Olson offered any explanation for the increase.

Homicide rates involve the killing of one individual by another and should not be confused with crime statistics in which a person is arrested on suspicion of murder, manslaughter or related criminal offenses.

For example, there are occasions when a person in a fatal automobile or boat accident is charged with a criminal offense such as murder or manslaughter. There also are instances when a fatal shooting is ruled justifiable and no charges are filed, a decision made by state and federal prosecutors.

Crime statistics are compiled by the FBI and are expected to be released later this year.

Santa Ana, which historically has had the largest homicide rate in the county, showed a decline in homicides from 42 in 1984 to 36 last year, according to the coroner’s figures. However, homicides in Garden Grove jumped from nine to 13 and in Orange from two to seven. Anaheim had 16 homicides in 1984 and 17 last year.

There were no homicides in Stanton, Yorba Linda, Irvine and Placentia in 1984, according to the coroner’s statistics, although the four cities had 13 homicides last year.

Meanwhile, traffic fatalities increased from 274 in 1984 to 325 last year. But traffic deaths on the county’s freeways dropped slightly, from 51 in 1984 to 48 last year.

Beisner said 82 people were killed in motorcycle and motor-scooter accidents in 1985, contrasted with 64 the previous year.

Orange County suicides rose from 275 to 288, records show. Guns were used in 141 of the suicides, with drugs (46) and hangings (45) accounting for most of the other deaths.

Accidental deaths declined from 319 to 308, the figures show.

Drug and alcohol overdoses jumped from 87 in 1984 to 106 last year, making up about a third of the accidental deaths. Industrial accidents dipped slightly from 35 in 1984 to 31 last year. There were also fewer drownings, with 37 in 1984 and 33 last year.

The statistics are based on 6,047 deaths investigated by the coroner’s office and 2,383 additional cases that were counted but not subjected to a coroner’s investigation or autopsy.

There were 13,050 deaths in the county last year and 12,629 the previous year.

DEATH STATISTICS IN ORANGE COUNTY

1984 1985 Accidental deaths 319 308 Suicides 275 288 Traffic fatalities 274 325 Homicides 105 132 Total deaths in 12,692 13,050 Orange County