CLIPBOARD : More Murder

There was an 8% increase in the number of homicides in the county between 1990 and 1989, according the the Coroner’s Office. The totals reached double figures in just three cities, and in two of those the 1990 total was lower than 1989’s. Five cities, of which Irvine is the largest, recorded no murders in 1990. Here’s how the various cities rate, based on the homicide rate per thousand residents:

1989 1990 1990 Rate City Homicides Homicides Per Thousand Santa Ana 54 48 0.16 Tustin 1 7 0.14 Stanton 4 4 0.13 Garden Grove 11 16 0.11 Dana Point 1 3 0.09 Los Alamitos 0 1 0.09 Anaheim 30 20 0.08 Buena Park 1 5 0.07 Costa Mesa 3 7 0.07 Brea 1 2 0.06 Fullerton 8 7 0.06 Orange 6 7 0.06 Laguna Niguel 0 2 0.05 Newport Beach 7 3 0.05 Westminster 3 4 0.05 Seal Beach 1 1 0.04 Yorba Linda 0 2 0.04 Huntington Beach 6 5 0.03 Cypress 0 1 0.02 Fountain Valley 2 1 0.02 La Habra 1 1 0.02 Placentia 4 1 0.02 San Clemente 0 1 0.02 Mission Viejo 2 1 0.01 Irvine 2 0 0.00 Laguna Beach 0 0 0.00 La Palma 0 0 0.00 San Juan Capistrano 1 0 0.00 Villa Park 0 0 0.00 COUNTY TOTAL* 161 174 0.07

* Includes unincorporated areas Source: Orange County Coroner’s Office