‘91 Proving to Be a Year of Violence and Death : County: Overall crime rate drops, but violent crime surges by 17.9% so far this year. Rape, robbery reports are up sharply.

Although overall crime in the parts of San Diego County patrolled by the Sheriff’s Department is down slightly from last year, violent crime so far in 1991 leaped 17.9%, with increases in rape and robbery taking the lead.

Sheriff Jim Roach called the increase a “disturbing pattern” that he attributed largely to drug use, gang activity, and a new wave of illegal immigrants who victimize migrants in farm worker camps as well as permanent residents.

The sheriff patrols the unincorporated areas of the county and contracts to provide law enforcement for the cities of Del Mar, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Vista, Lemon Grove, Poway, Santee, San Marcos and Imperial Beach. The study compared statistics from Jan. 1 to Sept. 30, 1991, over the same period last year.

The biggest leap over last year was in rape, which is up 32% to 69 cases this year.

Roach said he believes that a string of sexual assaults along the beaches during the summer caused much of that increase. Henry Hubbard Jr., at the time a San Diego police officer, was arrested Aug. 15 and has been charged with two counts of attempted murder and three counts of attempted robbery. Hubbard, who has since been fired from the police force, also is a suspect in a series of seven rapes, from Torrey Pines to Solana Beach.

But the beach rapes accounted for a minority of the increased number of rapes this year.

The next biggest increase over 1990 was in robbery, which saw a 28% rise to 276 cases this year.

In addition, Roache said, more immigrants are reporting crimes because of a trust that has been developed with law enforcement. The Sheriff’s Department has been working with Latino advocacy groups to try to open communication between the groups. Roache had no specific numbers, however, on how many crimes were reported by immigrants.

“Some of the distrust and suspicion of law enforcement has dissipated,” Roach said. “But it’s still a gulf that needs to be closed.”

Roach attributed the 14% increase in assaults to reports of domestic violence. There were 737 reported assaults within his jurisdiction. Roache did not know if there was an actual increase in the category, however, because this was the first year that sheriff’s deputies were required by law to file reports on domestic violence.

“Domestic violence is more significantly reported today than in previous years,” Roache said. “Unfortunately, there is a stigma over reporting domestic violence and recognition of the rising problem.”

Roache linked a rise in drug use to crime in the home. In a “significantly large” percentage of domestic violence calls, one or more people are under the influence of drugs, Roach said.

“When you’re emotionally impaired by substances, you do things you wouldn’t normally do,” he said.

Overall crime was down 3.2%, with the biggest decrease in vehicle thefts, which dropped 16.5% to 1,097 cases. Roache credited the fledgling Regional Auto Theft task force, made up of the California Highway Patrol, the Sheriff’s Department and the El Cajon and La Mesa police departments for the drop. The team, set up in September, 1990, has recovered 221 automobiles valued at $1.78 million and made 63 arrests, Roache said.

There were 13 homicides during that period, a 6% increase. Burglary was down 4% to 2,135 cases, and larceny decreased 3% to 2,588 cases.

With a 21% drop, Del Mar had the biggest overall decrease in crime in the sheriff’s jurisdiction. Crime in Vista was down 15%, followed by a 10% drop for Imperial Beach. Solana Beach and Santee both had a 6% reduction, followed by Poway with a 3% drop and San Marcos with a 1% dip. Crime in Encinitas rose 2%, with Lemon Grove and the unincorporated areas up 1%.

Sheriff’s crime figures

First Nine Months of 1991 Homicide: 6% Rape: 32% Robbery: 28% Assault: 14% Burglary: -4% Larceny: -3% Theft: -17% Violent: 18% Property: -6% All Crime: -3% Del Mar:-21% Encinitas: 2% Imperial Beach: -10% Lemon Grove: 1% Poway: -3% San Marcos: -1% Santee: -6% Solana Beach: -6% Unincorporated: 1% Vista: -15% SOURCE: San Diego County Sheriff’s Department