Large Cities’ Homicide Rates Drop : Crime: U.S. figures show only Garden Grove had more slayings in 1990 than in 1989. Yet the county total is a record.

Despite a record 171 county murders last year, all but one of the county’s largest cities saw homicide rates decline or hold even in 1990, a national crime report said. The exception, Garden Grove, had twice as many homicides.

Santa Ana, perennially the city reporting the most violent crime, showed a drop of nearly 19%; the 43 people slain in 1990 was down from 53 in 1989.

In Anaheim, the number of killings fell from 27 to 20.

The statistics, part of a preliminary U.S. Department of Justice report, came as somewhat of a surprise to local law-enforcement officials, who noted that the overall tally of homicides in the county broke 1989’s record of 155.

“I’m surprised it’s taken a downturn” in the larger cities, Anaheim Police Capt. Stan Kantor said. “There’s such a lack of respect for both life and property--it’s just blatant.”

Asked why more murders are apparently being committed in small communities, he said: “I couldn’t give you an answer for that. Homicides are just the kind of things you deal with as they happen.”

Anaheim, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Orange and Santa Ana still accounted for more than half of last year’s killings, 95 combined. Irvine, the only other county city in the report, recorded none.

Garden Grove still posted fewer murders than in Santa Ana and Anaheim--the county’s two largest urban areas--despite the rise in homicides from the previous year. In 1990, 16 people were slain in Garden Grove, twice 1989’s total.

An increasing number appear to have involved alcohol, he said. In nearly half of the cases, either the victim or suspect had been drinking at an establishment that sold alcohol, Robertson said, adding that his department is working with state agencies to restrict the number of alcohol licenses granted.

The statistics are part of a Justice Department report that tabulates crime in cities with populations of more than 100,000. In California, violent crime is defined as willful homicide, forcible rape, aggravated assault and robbery.

Santa Ana, with an estimated population of 294,000, saw a decrease in all types of violent crime except robbery, which rose 38%.

“We find a lot of (the robberies) are being perpetrated on Mexican nationals working here and carrying a lot of money on them,” Police Chief Paul M. Walters said. “It’s well known in the community that they keep a lot of cash on them, and they become targets.”

Walters attributed the sizable drop in the homicide rate to “very successful” efforts in curbing gang violence. Last year, Santa Ana led the county with 16 murders confirmed as related to gangs, more than half the county toll.

The incidence of rape stayed fairly even in most of the cities, but in Fullerton 52 women were victims of rape, up from 36 the year before--an increase of 44%--and in Huntington Beach, rapes rose from 47 to 57--an increase of nearly 45%.

REPORTED LEVELS OF SERIOUS CRIME IN 1990

The Department of Justice has released preliminary crime statistics for cities with populations over 100,000. Shown is the change from 1989 to 1990.

TOTAL SERIOUS CRIMES REPORTED City 1990 % Change Anaheim 19,096 +4.6 Fullerton 8,257 +11.8 Garden Grove 10,403 +7.1 Huntington Beach 9,216 -3.4 Irvine 5,025 +16.3 Orange 7,283 +5.2 Santa Ana 22,291 +3.4

Murder Rape Robbery Burglary Auto Theft City % Change % Change % Change % Change % Change Anaheim -25.9 -16.8 +29.1 -5.6 +9.9 Fullerton -25.0 +44.4 +44.8 +25.9 +23.8 Garden Grove +100.0 -4.8 +18.3 -5.7 +2.8 Huntington Beach N/C +21.3 +31.3 -15.4 +1.3 Irvine -100.0 -11.1 +48.6 +24.7 -18.4 Orange -16.7 +18.2 +0.5 -7.5 +7.3 Santa Ana -18.9 -1.4 +38.0 -2.0 +2.4

Notes: Total Serious Crimes include: Murder, Forcible Rape, Robbery, Aggravated Assault; Burglary; Larceny; and Motor Vehicle Theft. Only cities with populations over 100,000 listed.

Source: FBI 1990 Uniform Crime Report, Annual Preliminary Release