Serious Crime Up 10%; Drug Activity Is Cited

Serious crime in San Diego rose by more than 10% last year, most of it coming in sharp increases in assaults and auto thefts related to continued drug and gang activity, Police Chief Bill Kolender told a City Council committee Wednesday.

In his annual report to the council’s Public Services and Safety Committee, Kolender said the number of major crimes increased 10.6% between 1986 and last year. With homicides down 5% and rapes up only slightly, the chief was most concerned about major increases in aggravated assault (27.4%) and auto thefts (37.2%).

He also cited a disturbing trend in San Diego in which aggravated assaults have climbed 78% and auto thefts 114%, both since 1980.

The new figures show that the number of serious crimes in San Diego has increased during each of the past three years, rising 5.5% in 1985, 17.5% in 1986 and 10.6% last year.

‘Major Drug Problems’

“San Diego has developed major drug problems in this decade,” Kolender said.

He said drugs have increased in purity 2 to 20 times since 1980, most of it because of modern cultivation techniques, improved processing methods and stepped-up production.

Felony drug arrests were up 97% during that same time period, but overcrowded jails have allowed many drug offenders to remain free, Kolender said.

“Increasingly,” he said, “suspects are under the influence of drugs when stopped by police, resulting in safety problems for officers and themselves.

“The value of property stolen to finance drug habits is up 116%. In 1987, $68.7-million worth of property was stolen from people in the city and that does not include auto theft.

“San Diego County,” he added, “has become a major port of entry for illegal drugs as well as a major production site for these illegal drugs.”

To combat this growing problem, he said the Police Department has responded with “a number of strong, effective new units and programs.” He highlighted the special areawide narcotics task force, the Police Department’s narcotics street team, the department’s WE CAN (Walking Enforcement Campaign Against Narcotics) and its special street gang detail.

“In 1987, for example, 129 (methamphetamine) labs were seized in this county,” the chief said. “That’s about one-third of all the labs closed in the United States. People call us the meth lab capital of the world.”

To fight growing gang activity, Kolender said several new programs are in operation, such as the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) outreach project in the schools. He also mentioned the JOG (Juveniles Out of Gangs) program, which reached 350 students in 10 Southeast San Diego schools.

“When the program started in September, some fifth-grade students claimed an association with gangs, wore gang colors and flashed gang signs around school because they thought it was the thing to do to become accepted,” Kolender said. “We do not see much of this anymore.”

The chief also commended his department for its work in handling security for the Super Bowl, and praised efforts by the vice unit for attempting to sweep prostitutes off El Cajon Boulevard. In all of 1987, he said, prostitution arrests were up 53%.

“Despite this, it’s the same old story; the jail revolving door continues,” he said. “Prostitutes are arrested and back on the streets within an hour.”

He urged the council to support a sales tax increase to ease the jail overcrowding problem. Asked if he had any preference on a new jail site, Kolender said the solution was not where, but when. And how soon.

“Give me a box,” he said. “Give me a building. Give me a whatever.”

The FBI lists serious crimes as homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, theft and auto theft.

SAN DIEGO CRIME REPORT

1986 1987 Change Homicide 101 96 -5.0% Rape 391 410 +4.9% Robbery 3,985 3,452 -13.4% Assault 4,044 5,154 +27.4% Burglary 17,553 17,370 -0.9% Theft 40,459 43,590 +7.7% Auto Theft 13,233 18,155 +37.2%