L.B. Logs Slight Rise in Major Crimes : Three-Year Declining Trend Reversed; More Murders, Burglaries Reported

Reports of major crime increased slightly in 1985 for the first time in four years, with the number of murders and home burglaries up sharply, according to the Police Department.

Overall, major crime edged upward by just 0.1%, increasing by 38 incidents to 30,378. Major crime peaked in 1982 with 32,535 reports.

Reported crime was up in five of the city’s nine council districts.

Still, Police Chief Charles Ussery said, “When I look at these statistics, I say I’m thankful and very grateful.”

“I would like to see a continuous decrease, but I understand that we reach a point where reported crime will not decrease,” said Ussery. “So much of the crime is beyond the control of any law enforcement agency.”

Ussery said he was most encouraged by last year’s 112-incident decrease in violent crimes--those against persons rather than property. There were 4,134 murders, rapes, assaults and robberies reported in 1985; there were 4,722 in 1981.

Gang-Related Killings

Still, the most dramatic increase in a single crime category was for murder. There were 64 homicides last year, contrasted with 44 in 1984. A jump in gang-related killings from 4 to 15, an all-time high, accounted for much of the increase. Murders in the 6th District, where several gangs operate, increased from 11 to 28.

The number of felony assaults citywide also climbed, increasing 4.6%.

Murder and assault are the two areas most difficult to affect with police manpower, said Ussery.

“Assaults, like homicide, are usually crimes in the heat of passion, when people have serious emotional disagreements, and it’s extremely difficult to deploy resources to keep those from happening,” the police chief said.

Property crime, particularly burglary, was up last year, said Ussery, “because there has been an increase in the use of narcotics and increased attempts to support (the habit) through burglary.”

Declines Reversed

The 343-incident, or 5.3%, increase in home burglaries last year came after three years of dramatic decline. There were 6,786 residential burglaries in 1985, and 8,154 in 1981.

The Police Department’s Neighborhood Watch program, which encourages alertness to strangers and cooperation among neighbors, has grown from 350 block clubs four years ago to 2,500 today.

Ussery said, however, that the jump in burglaries in 1985 shows that the program “has its limitations” and is not as effective as it can be.

Of the five City Council districts with more crime last year, three consist of neighborhoods that have been traditionally low in crime.

The biggest jump, 7%, was in the 2nd District, which includes the affluent oceanfront east of downtown, part of Belmont Heights and the old Eastside. Home and business burglaries were up 8% and 11.9%, respectively. Grand thefts were up 20%. In all, 230 more serious crimes were reported in the district.

Fewer Violent Offenses

The 9th District in North Long Beach had the second-largest increase, 6.6%, even though violent crime was down from 492 offenses to 470. The biggest jump was in home burglaries, which increased by 140, or 20.8%.

District 7--which includes the Westside, northern Wrigley and the southern portion of Bixby Knolls and California Heights--had the most encouraging crime figures. Crime was down 6.5% overall, with a 13.2% reduction in home burglaries accounting for most of the decrease. Still, violent crime was up from 406 offenses to 416.

For the eighth year in a row, the 1st District in the city’s downtown had far more crime than any other. But the district experienced a 3.5% decrease last year, including reductions in rape, robbery, assault, business burglary and theft.

Council District 6--which includes the central city, southern Wrigley and the lower Westside--had the second-highest crime total. But it had the city’s sharpest violent-crime decrease, 102 incidents or 9.3%, despite its 155% increase in murder.

Home and business burglaries were up in middle-income and affluent communities of eastern Long Beach. Most of the 2.7% and 4.7% increases in districts 3 and 5, respectively, were the result of more theft and burglary.

Large Jump in Burglaries

District 8--the northern portions of Bixby Knolls and California Heights and the Virginia Country Club area--had the largest jump in home burglary, up from 480 to 618, or 28.7%

The Thursday release of crime statistics by council district came 2 1/2 months before the April 8 city primary election, and the challenger in at least one race, District 3, has said crime will be a campaign issue.

James Serles, who is running against Councilwoman Jan Hall, has said the incumbent has not been a strong enough leader in the fight against property crime in the affluent southeast.

Hall has pointed to the decreasing number of burglaries in her district since 1981. Home burglary, however, was up from 579 to 654, 12.9%, in 1985, and burglaries of businesses increased 19.5%.

LONG BEACH REPORTED CRIME, 1963-1985

Major crimes recorded citywide by Long Beach police show a sharp increase over two decades to their peak in 1981, followed by a modest decline and leveling off. Police officials are pleased with the trend.

Year Murder Rape Assault Robbery Burglary Theft Total 1963 13 96 379 611 4,179 8,502 13,780 1970 29 134 572 1,194 6,471 15,063 23,463 1976 71 200 965 1,700 9,386 13,932 26,254 1981 74 306 1,419 2,923 10,000 17,804 32,535 1984 44 241 1,369 2,595 7,897 18,193 30,340 1985 64 230 1,432 2,409 8,289 17,951 30,378

Source: Long Beach Police Dept. Years previous to 1984 were selected at random. Annual totals include manslaughter, which is not listed separately. REPORTED CRIME BY COUNCIL DISTRICT

District Murder Rape Assault Robbery Burglary Burglary Theft Total DISTRICT 1 1984 9 56 335 684 1,135 371 4,399 6,989 1985 9 46 324 654 1192 348 4,166 6,740 DISTRICT 2 1984 6 22 110 232 900 109 1,904 3,283 1985 6 25 121 232 972 122 2,035 3,513 DISTRICT 3 1984 0 22 53 109 579 133 2,149 3,045 1985 3 12 70 112 654 159 2,119 3,129 DISTRICT 4 1984 0 9 50 87 417 93 1,384 2,040 1985 1 12 56 93 453 103 1,319 2,037 DISTRICT 5 1984 2 4 31 49 258 69 929 1,342 1985 1 3 36 51 254 99 962 1,406 DISTRICT 6 1984 11 63 364 652 1,081 236 2,315 4,722 1985 28 56 386 518 1,031 228 2,366 4,613 DISTRICT 7 1984 6 23 112 265 921 151 1,707 3,185 1985 5 20 135 254 799 158 1,604 2,977 DISTRICT 8 1984 5 13 106 235 480 145 1,637 2,621 1985 3 18 114 227 618 133 1,545 2,658 DISTRICT 9 1984 4 22 187 278 672 147 1,725 3,036 1985 8 25 172 265 812 153 1,803 3,238 Source: Long Beach Police Department Source: Long Beach Police Department