Violent Crime Is a Growing Threat : Enforcement: Overall crime drops 5.4%, but homicides, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults escalate by 10.8%.

San Diego police say they are succeeding at reducing property crimes but continue to struggle at bringing the most serious, violent crimes, under control.

“Violent crime is hard to proactively attack,” Deputy Chief George Saldamando said. “As the city grows, it is very likely that violent crime will grow along with it. Violent crime is very difficult to stop.”

Newly released statistics from the Police Department show that overall crime from January through June of this year decreased by 5.4% contrasted with the same period in 1991. Most of the decrease is attributable to a 7.9% drop in property crime--burglaries, thefts and auto thefts. During the same period, however, violent crime--homicides, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults--escalated by 10.8%.

“We are happy that we are able to control crime in certain areas,” Saldamando said, “but there are areas that we have no control over.”

The drop in overall crime for the first six months marked the third straight year that the total number of reported crimes decreased from the previous year.

Much of the rise in violent crime came from a 17.7% surge in aggravated assaults. Police attributed the substantial increase to more diligent reporting of domestic violence.

Police also pointed out that, while violent crime increased, its rate of growth slowed from 1991, when it rose by 14.3%.

The number of homicides rose to 82 from 79 the previous year, a 3.8% increase. Reported rapes rose 11.5%, with 252 cases, contrasted with 226 the year before.

The statistics showed better news in the area of auto thefts, which declined 11.3%. Police attributed some of the decline to special investigative efforts that focused on chop shops, auto theft series and cargo theft operations.

Saldamando said the department’s success in reducing property crimes can also be attributed to its expanded emphasis on “neighborhood policing teams” that work closely with citizens to monitor community problems.

The numbers of violent crimes reported actually may have been given a boost by the neighborhood teams, Saldamando said, because they have given once-afraid residents in gang-infested areas the courage to report drive-by shootings and other incidents. Police said drive-by shootings from January to June increased 23%, with 43 cases, contrasted with 35 in 1991. Gang-related murders decreased to 8 from 11 during the same period.

San Diego now has 5,055 documented gang members in 37 gangs, according to police.

“Drug abuse and sales continue to be the major cause of crime problems in San Diego,” according to the report prepared by Police Chief Bob Burgreen. “The competition for control of drug trafficking, particularly crack (cocaine), is seen in increasing street violence.”

Saldamando said police are responding by adding a team of 12 street officers to the department’s Narcotics Unit.

In June, the first month the department began recording hate crimes, 17 were reported, including 8 that were racially motivated and 6 related to sexual orientation.

Crime Statistics

For the third year in a row, overall crime in San Diego decreased, this year by 5.4%. The figures cover the period from January to June in 1991 and 1992.

VIOLENT CRIMES

Crime 1991 1992 % Change Homicide 79 82 3.8 Rape 226 252 11.5 Robbery 2,540 2,568 1.1 Aggravated Assault 3,617 4,259 17.7 Total 6,462 7,161 10.8

PROPERTY CRIMES

Crime 1991 1992 % Change Burglary 8,647 8,495 -1.8 Theft 23,204 20,588 -11.3 Auto Theft 10,640 10,068 -5.4 Total 42,491 39,151 -7.9

OVERALL CRIMES

1991 1992 % Change CITY TOTALS 48,953 46,312 -5.4

Source: San Diego Police Department