O.C Far Behind National Rate of Cases Closed

When it comes to solving murder cases, Orange County law enforcement agencies, as a whole, have lagged behind the 65% national average for the last three years, according to the Department of Justice in Sacramento.

In 1992, 44.5% of the county’s 173 homicides reported were solved. In 1991, 48% of 155 cases were solved and in 1990, 58.4% of 149 cases reported were solved.

Among the high-profile cases that have not been solved is the slaying of Garden Grove Police Officer Howard E. Dallies Jr., who was gunned down while making a traffic stop on March 9.

A special task force of nearly 40 investigators from seven county police departments was created in late March to work the case. They poured over hundreds of crime reports, chased thousands of leads and traveled to dozens of cities in their hunt for the man who gunned down Dallies and fled.

In late June, the size of the task force was reduced to nine.

One of the reasons for the lower overall rate may be due to Santa Ana, which solved 30% of its 59 homicides last year, less than half of the national average.

But Santa Ana Police Lt. Robert Helton said that number is misleading.

“One of our difficulties is that we know who are suspects are in quite a few of our homicides but they have gone to Mexico and are no longer in the United States,” Helton said.