San Diego’s Overall Crime Rate Increases, but Murders Decline

Despite a sharp drop in the number of homicides, the overall crime rate in San Diego continued to increase last year, with rises in robberies, aggravated assaults and thefts, Police Chief Bob Burgreen reported Wednesday.

In dramatizing an overall increase in crime of 6.4% in 1989, the sixth straight year that crime has risen, Burgreen, in reporting to the City Council’s Public Services and Safety Committee, echoed an oft-heard statement that the entire law enforcement system in San Diego County is overburdened.

“San Diego’s jails have become the most overcrowded in the country, which severely impacts law enforcement,” he said. “Misdemeanor bookings into jail are severely limited and officers must issue citations. Over 70,000 citations were issued last year, many for failure to appear on previous warrants.

“Suspects now know they can commit crimes without going to jail. As a result, there are over 610,000 outstanding warrants in the county valued at over $68 million.”

According to the Police Department’s year-end figures, robbery increased by 11.9%, aggravated assault by 10.6%, and theft by 8.4% from 1988 totals.

In contrast, homicides dropped by 16%, from 144 murders in 1988 to 121 last year. Although murders were up by an unusually high 50% in 1988, Burgreen said the drop in 1989 also could be attributed to formation of new police details that target gang and narcotic activity.

He also said that the higher assault figures might be the result of a new domestic violence law and reporting requirements, which means more incidents of spousal abuse is being reported to police.

Burgreen said the robbery increase can be connected with more prevalent drug activity in the city, and to the 21 separate serial robbers who were arrested in San Diego last year. The arrests closed 270 separate robbery cases. One serial robber was involved in 65 thefts, the chief said.

But he also told the council committee that gangs and drugs continue to be the biggest factor for rising crime in the city. He said the Police Department is focusing in on those areas, and has made some gains in turning the numbers around.

He said there were 75 gang-related drive-by shootings last year, when a new Special Enforcement Division went into effect. There were 90 drive-by shootings in 1988. He said there two deaths from drive-by shootings last year, compared with eight in 1988. And he said the new division is making other inroads against gangs as well.

“Since March 3, when SED became operational,” he said, “the division has made 3,526 arrests and confiscated 293 firearms, 25 vehicles, 27,000 grams of narcotics and $233,000 in currency.”