SELF PROTECTION : PREPARING YOURSELF FOR SURPRISE : COUNTYWIDE BURGLARY TRENDS

A look at burglary trends in Orange County during the last 10 years (a full accounting of 1989 is not yet available) offers some positive information. Although there were nearly 29,000 burglaries reported in 1988--or about one every 18 minutes--that was the lowest number reported in 10 years and continued the declining trend from 1986. Similarly, the rate per 100,000 county residents in 1988 was the lowest in the 10-year period and the continuation of a dropping trend since 1984.

Although there were fewer burglaries solved (or “cleared”) in 1988 than the previous year, the clearance rate in 1988 was higher--in fact the highest for the 10 years in question.

A burglary is cleared (“solved”) when at least one person is arrested, charged with the crime, and turned over for prosecution (or in the case of a juvenile cited to juvenile authorities). In some situations a clearance may be counted by “exceptional” means when the police definitely know the identity of the burglar, have enough information to support an arrest, and know the location of the burglar but for some reason cannot take the offender into custody.

Rate Per Clearances Clearance Year 100,000 Reported Rate 1988 1,276.5 5,494 19.0 1987 1,442.0 5,663 17.7 1986 1,597.6 5,390 15.5 1985 1,611.7 5,551 16.2 1984 1,669.1 5,464 15.8 1983 1,584.4 4,968 15.3 1982 1,865.4 5,840 15.5 1981 2,152.7 6,544 15.5 1980 2,253.3 6,884 15.7 1979 2,193.9 7,254 17.4

Burglaries Reported: 1980 -- 43,795 1988 -- 28,862 Source: California Attorney General’s Office, Bureau of Criminal Statistics and Special Services