Long Beach : Serious Crimes Up 5.9%

Serious crime reported in Long Beach increased 5.9% during the first half of this year, with offenses against both people and property up sharply.

Total reported offenses in 13 categories of serious crime climbed from 15,567 for the first six months of 1985 to 16,486 for the first half of this year.

Offenses against people increased from 2,098 to 2,303, or 9.7%, and included a 20.5% increase in aggravated assaults and a 6.1% jump in robberies. However, murders were down from 33 to 26 and rapes dropped from 111 to 98.

Property crimes jumped from 13,469 to 14,183, or 5.3%, despite a reduction in arson, from 83 to 52 incidents, and home burglaries, from 3,662 to 3,416, or 6.7%. The largest increases were in auto burglary (17.1%), petty theft (12.1%) and auto theft (9.3%).

Reports of serious crime were up in eight of nine council districts, with the most dramatic increases in the 1st and 8th districts, 11.6% and 14.4%, respectively. Serious crime decreased by 8.8% in the 4th District.