Crime Falls in Pomona, Rises in Pasadena : Law enforcement: State figures compiled for the first nine months of 1992 place the region’s two largest cities at opposite ends of the spectrum.

Crime in Pasadena increased by 9%, while Pomona saw a 10.3% decrease during the first nine months of 1992, according to statistics released by the state last week.

The San Gabriel Valley’s two largest cities emerged at the opposite ends of the crime spectrum after raw numbers for six major offenses were tallied from January through September, 1992, and compared against figures for the same period in 1991.

The data was part of an overall snapshot of the state’s crime picture presented by state Atty. Gen. Dan Lungren in speeches in Sacramento and Los Angeles. Lungren based his remarks on preliminary statistics gathered from the state’s 45 largest law enforcement agencies that serve populations of more than 100,000.

The crimes tallied included violent crimes of murder, rape, robbery and assault, and property crimes of burglary and motor vehicle thefts.

Statewide, among the 45 agencies tallied, the numbers of such crimes increased by 2.5%, with a 3.7% increase in violent crimes and a 1.9% increase in property crimes.

Pomona’s 10.3% decline overall consisted of an 11.1% decrease in violent crime and a 9.9% decrease in property crimes. But within those decreases, the city also tallied a startling 52.4% increase in homicides--with 32 murders in the first nine months of 1992 compared to 21 in the same period in 1991.

Police Chief Lloyd Wood, who oversees 174 sworn officers and also serves as Pomona’s city administrator, was not available for comment Thursday. But police Lt. Leon Sakamoto said neither the chief nor homicide detectives could give a reason for the increase in murders.

“We didn’t have any unusually high amount of gang or drug-related murders,” Sakamoto said. “Instead, it was a menagerie of different reasons, including domestic violence.”

But Sakamoto attributed the overall crime reduction in the city to the work of two task forces: one combating burglary and another addressing narcotics and gang-related crimes. By assigning detectives to work such cases from start to finish, Sakamoto said, the police department was more successful in catching the culprits.

Pasadena’s crime snapshot was almost the opposite of Pomona’s, with a 9% decrease in murders but an overall increase in crime.

Violent crime increased 25.2%, with the biggest rise in the number of aggravated assaults: from 598 to 836, a 39.8% increase. By comparison, property crime increased .8%.

Police Chief Jerry Oliver attributed the increase in violent crime to the sodden economy and to luck.

“An aggravated assault becomes a homicide if someone dies,” Oliver said. “Some years, people are better at shooting guns, or stabbing people, so it’s a quirk of luck as to how many homicides you have in a city.”

But he also said the economy has made many people desperate, including those who see no other way to get money than to grab a gun and commit a robbery.

Like Lungren, Oliver attributed much of the increase in violent crime to gang activity and drive-by shootings. But the chief added that, for many youths who lack power and opportunity, shooting a gun and watching people scatter is an expression of the only power they have.

While Lungren called for publicizing the names of juveniles who commit violent crimes and trying 14- and 15-year-olds as adults, Oliver said such measures treat only the symptoms and not the underlying social ills. Instead, Oliver said society needs to commit itself to providing better education, youth recreation programs and opportunities for young people.

As part of the effort to retake Pasadena’s streets from gang influences and crime, Oliver said he has asked the City Council to increase the number of officers by 80, from the current 190 to 270 over the next six years.

The additional officers would allow police to spend 40% of their time on patrol, giving them time to assess family needs when they are called to a crime scene. Such efforts could prevent future acts of violence by allowing family needs to be addressed, Oliver said.

Lungren said the figures released last week were not adjusted for population growth. He said full-year statewide 1992 figures with crime rates adjusted for population would be available in three months.

Crime in Pasadena and Pomona

New statistics show a big jump in violent crimes in Pasadena, but overall decreases in Pomona from January to September, 1992.

JAN.- JAN.- SEPT. SEPT. PASADENA INCIDENTS 1991 1992 % CHANGE California 3,577 3,900 +9.0 Crime Index Violent Crime 1,210 1,515 +25.2 Willful homicide 11 10 -9.0 Forcible rape 42 46 +9.5 Robbery 559 623 +11.4 Aggravated assault 598 836 +39.8 Property crime 2,367 2,385 +0.8 Burglary 1,396 1,386 -0.7 Motor vehicle theft 971 999 +2.9

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JAN.- JAN.- SEPT. SEPT. POMONA INCIDENTS 1991 1992 % CHANGE California 5,014 4,496 -10.3 Crime Index Violent Crime 1,797 1,598 -11.1 Willful homicide 21 32 +52.4 Forcible rape 67 74 +10.4 Robbery 762 683 -10.4 Aggravated assault 947 809 -14.6 Property crime 3,217 2,898 -9.9 Burglary 1,930 1,625 -15.8 Motor vehicle theft 1,287 1,273 -1.1