The State : Drug Crimes Move to No. 1

The state attorney general’s office now has statistics to prove that drug crimes are No. 1 in California. A report from Atty. Gen. John K. Van de Kamp said that for the first time, the number of adults arrested last year for felony drug law violations surpassed those arrested for felony property crimes. The figures are in a report entitled “Crime and Delinquency in California, 1988.” Last year, 158,510 adults were arrested for felony drug law violations, including the possession, sale or manufacture of narcotics, methamphetamine, marijuana and other illicit drugs--an increase of 116.2% since 1983. Narcotics include heroin, cocaine and crack. By comparison, 152,992 adults were arrested for felony property crimes such as burglary, motor vehicle theft, forgery, check and access card offenses, and arson--an increase of 23.4% over 1983.