THE TIMES POLL : Fear of Crime Is the Unifying Factor in O.C. : Regardless of ethnicity, the majority of residents rank violence and gangs as the most important problem.

Whatever the differences among Orange County’s ethnic groups, frustration over crime and fear of its effect on the county’s neighborhoods is a uniting force.

More than half the residents of Orange County--with scant differences by ethnicity or political leanings--mention crime or gangs or both when asked to name the most important problem facing their community.

This despite the shrinking job market that pushed local unemployment rates to the highest levels in a decade and traffic snarls that suburban commuters encounter daily.

“It’s crazy how crime has escalated in the past five years,” notes Michelle Ross, a lifelong Southern Californian who felt comfortable raising her two children in a modest section of La Habra--until a month ago.

Then one night, only blocks from Ross’ home, two women pulled a female motorist from her car and beat her to death against a curb. The reason: She had cut them off in a parking lot.

Since then, Ross, 22, said she no longer ventures out alone to a nearby store at night. During daylight hours, “I feel safe, but I wouldn’t want my kids running around on the street.”

While concerned about crime, most Orange County residents express a fair degree of confidence that police or sheriff’s deputies will protect them from it--with 47% voicing “a lot” of confidence, and 44% saying “some.” Only 7% gave police a vote of “no confidence.”

Almost half of Orange County’s residents believe the criminal justice system is generally fair to everyone. But the poll detected a strong undercurrent of doubt that the system is dealing evenhandedly with members of ethnic minority groups.

More than 25% say the justice system is biased against minorities, and 40% of Latinos express that view. Asians and Latinos also voiced less confidence in police and were more inclined to think that law enforcement officers are unfairly tough on minorities, the Times Poll found.

The rise in crime also has residents assessing blame, and the image of Latinos has suffered the most--highlighting what has probably become one of the most sensitive points of ethnic relations in Orange County. When asked to name which minority groups are more inclined to be violent than others, half the county’s residents cite Latinos--twice the percentage citing blacks and Asians and 10 times the percentage citing whites.

“I’ve noticed a steady increase in graffiti and gang activity,” said Fred Covely, 58, a poll respondent and maintenance worker with the Huntington Beach Union High School District, adding that maybe Latino and Asian gangs “have a presence down here that I’m not accustomed to,” he said.

Even Latinos are most likely to cite fellow Latinos, with 51% offering that opinion.

“I get upset, especially when Latinos fight each other,” said Paul Salvador Maciel, 46, a Latino poll respondent who lives in Garden Grove. Latinos should “unite and fight the system, not each other.”

Violent crime, such as homicide and armed robbery, has been rising steadily for the past six years. In the county’s seven largest cities, it increased by almost 7% during the first half of this year, compared to the same period in 1992, according to California Department of Justice statistics.

Police are quick to point out that crime is far less common in Orange County than in its larger neighbor to the north. In 1992, Orange County police agencies received reports of 56.3 serious crimes for every 1,000 people--crimes such as murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault or car theft. In Los Angeles County, the rate was nearly 32% higher--74.1 serious crimes for every 1,000 people.

Some criminologists discount public concern about crime, pointing to media coverage of drive-by shootings and murderous carjackings as the reason for heightened public consciousness.

Among Latinos, another issue of concern is drugs. “Latinos are far more likely than others to mention drugs as a top community difficulty--17% citing it, while just 4% of whites and Asians do,” notes John Brennan, who directed the Times Poll. Those numbers mirror the views of the three racial groups nationwide and in Southern California, Brennan said.

Drugs, in the view of some residents, contribute to the violence, fueling gang fights over turf. “It’s the drugs that cause them to have feuds,” said Maciel, the Garden Grove resident, who got a large dose of violence during military service in Vietnam.

While Orange County residents generally expressed confidence in their police, it wasn’t shared by all ethnic groups.

More than half the county’s whites--52%--say they have a lot of confidence in police, but that percentage dips to 37% among Latinos and to 27% among Asians. At the opposite end of the confidence spectrum, 6% of whites and 7% of Latinos say they have no confidence, while 16% of the Asians gave police a no confidence vote.

Police “only seem to act if you have a serious problem,” said Al Dabiri, 50, an Asian immigrant who recently joined a Laguna Hills Neighborhood Watch group. “You don’t feel like they’re really taking you seriously.”

Some blame the higher levels of distrust among Asians on a lack of police officers who can speak Vietnamese, Chinese or Korean. Others point to traditions in some Asian cultures of solving problems within the community, without going to outsiders--such as the police--for help.

In Westminster, where those of Vietnamese descent make up about 14.5% of the population, relations between these residents and police are improving, said Tony Lam, the first Vietnamese-American elected to the Westminster City Council. But the city “still needs more Vietnamese officers.”

Lam said he is trying to encourage his Asian-American constituents to become more involved in crime prevention and reporting. “There are still people who are reluctant to come forward to denounce criminal activity,” because they are afraid of retaliation, Lam said.

The Times Poll found that Asian residents are particularly concerned about crime. While 27% of whites and 24% of Latinos called crime their community’s most pressing problem, 38% of Asians voiced concern about it.

“I feel safe in the house, but I don’t want to go out at night,” said Mythuong Nguyen, a poll respondent and 33-year-old mother of two who emigrated from Vietnam in 1980 with 11 brothers and sisters.

Nguyen rattled off a list of thefts she has suffered, including a new VCR and a stereo stolen from her husband’s car in daylight.

“When you call the police, they don’t come over. They take your call over the phone,” said Nguyen, who lives in Stanton and relies on the Sheriff’s Department for protection.

Police officers seem to become frustrated with those who cannot speak English well, Nguyen said. “Sometimes, it’s better not to deal with the system” of law enforcement, she said. It is “better to stay in your shell, stay in your house.”

John Huey-Long Song, a criminologist who conducted extensive studies on ethnic Vietnamese and Chinese communities in Orange and Los Angeles counties while studying at UC Irvine, said some Asian-born residents complain that police are insensitive to their cultural heritage.

“It’s a controversial point, because they’re here in America and they’re supposed to be assimilated,” said Song, a professor of criminal justice at the State University of New York at Buffalo. “But people can’t be expected to adjust to this country immediately.”

Song said he found that language is an intimidating barrier, even when there are police officers who can speak Chinese or Vietnamese. He knows of instances when Chinese-speaking officers dealing with residents of Chinese descent have insisted on speaking English.

Language barriers can hamper good relations between officers and Spanish-speaking Latinos as well, although Spanish-speaking officers are more common.

“Everybody knows that here in Santa Ana you have to be bilingual to be a police officer,” said Jose Vargas, Hispanic affairs officer for the Santa Ana Police Department.

Vargas admitted that not all police departments are equally accessible. “In some cities, Hispanics do not go to the police to report crimes, because they do not feel like they’re going to be welcomed.” He did not want to name the departments where Latinos feel unwelcome.

Some Latinos’ mistrust of the police transcends specific departments, others said.

“Police in Mexico and Guatemala don’t have the most wonderful reputation,” explained Malcolm Klein, director of the Center for Research on Crime and Social Control at USC. “If immigrants bring that memory with them,” it’s possible that the attitudes they bring may impede good relations with police here.

Half of the county’s residents express the belief that police or sheriff’s deputies are equally tough on everyone. But more than a quarter--27%--said law enforcement officers are unfairly tough on Latinos, and 21% said they are unfairly tough on blacks.

Latinos see themselves as the most mistreated by police, with 46% saying officers are unfairly tougher on Latinos.

Arturo Montez, head of the Santa Ana council of the League of United Latin American Citizens, or LULAC, said the lack of diversity in police departments hurts relations with different ethnic groups. Asks Montez: “How can you trust those who enforce the law if they don’t reflect the community themselves?”

A Times survey of Orange County law enforcement agencies shows that both Latinos and Asians are under-represented in the ranks of police--Latinos accounting for about 14% of the police, compared to 23% of the population, and Asian-Americans comprising 2.5% of the police, as opposed to 10% of the population.

The Times Poll also asked residents if they “think any one of these groups in Orange County--whites, Asians, blacks or Latinos--is more inclined to be violent than the others?”

Montez was not surprised that many Orange County residents say that Latinos are particularly prone to violence--a view shared by many Latinos themselves and apparently supported by law enforcement statistics.

While roughly one-fourth of the county’s residents say that either blacks or Asians are inclined to be violent, fully one-half--50% voiced that view of Latinos, including 51% of the Latinos polled. Only 5% see whites as violence-prone.

“People see the drive-bys. They see the violence that Latinos inflict upon themselves,” Montez said.

Ramon Salcido, a professor of social work at USC who grew up in Santa Ana, blames the prevalence of firearms and the highly visible presence of Latino gangs for the violence-prone image of Latinos. “It’s not reflective of Mexican-Americans or Latinos” in general, he said. “It’s reflective of social class and family welfare.”

Taking into account their numbers in the population, Latinos are more than three times as likely as whites to be arrested for violent crimes, according to the most up-to-date police statistics.

But there are some who say that police are quicker to arrest Latinos than members of other ethnic groups.

“Just because you’ve been arrested doesn’t mean the charges hold up,” said John Palacio, of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, or MALDEF. “Many times we’re arrested and the charges don’t stick.”

Palacio said police are “less careful how they arrest people in the Latino community,” a view that is shared USC’s Klein, who remarked that “Latinos are more likely to be subjected to detention and arrest than whites.”

Latinos complain of being the victim of police brutality much more often than whites or Asians--15% of Latinos versus 5% of the whites and Asians.

Police said Latinos report more brutality because they are confronted more often by law enforcement officers; Latino activists said they are more likely to suffer from racism and immigrant-bashing at the hands of police.

Although most of those who have an opinion believe the criminal justice system in Orange County is evenhanded in its treatment of all ethnic groups, more than a quarter believe it is biased against minorities.

Latinos were most likely to say the system is biased--39%--compared to 28% of Asians and 24% of whites.

“I know there’s discrimination,” said Julia Quiroa Pacheco, 38, a hotel maid from Anaheim and poll respondent. “The majority of Latinos don’t get involved in crimes, but I think those that get involved in those problems end up learning to defend themselves.”

LULAC’s Montez shares that view.

“To this day, there’s still a double-edged sword of justice--one for whites and one for people of color,” Montez said.

Francisco P. Briseno, presiding judge of the juvenile division of Orange County Superior Court, said he believes the system is fair, but racial questions have been on his mind.

“Asian youngsters and Hispanic youngsters tend to be overrepresented in these courts,” he said, adding that he hopes to enlist a local university to research the issue.

One area where Latino defendants appear to be treated differently is the probation process. In 1991, for example, adult white felons in Orange County were more than three times as likely as adult Latino felons to get probation, according to statistics compiled by the California Department of Justice.

But experts caution that statistics do not tell the whole story. Sentencing, particularly the decision to give probation, depends on several factors, such as the severity and number of crimes committed, the quality of defense lawyers and family background.

“I’ve seen cases in which a person commits assault but he comes from an intact family, including parents . . . who come from a good neighborhood and express an interest in the child’s attitude, and the kid is remorseful,” Briseno said, “and I give a certain recommendation” on the juvenile’s sentence.

“But I compare it to another kid . . . with a single parent who is overwhelmed by going to work and isn’t as comfortable working with authorities, and the recommendation may be different,” Briseno said. “Are there racial aspects to this, or other factors?”

Crime the No. 1 Concern

Although whites and minorities differ on whether Orange County police treat all people the same, most residents have some or a lot of confidence in the ability of police or sheriff’s deputies to protect their communities. However, crime remains the county’s No. 1 concern. More than half say they would go out of their way to avoid Santa Ana because they fear it is unsafe.

Do you have a lot of confidence, some confidence, or no confidence that your community’s police or sheriff’s deputies will protect you from crime? A lot: 47% Some: 44% No confidence: 7% Don’t know: 2% +

Do you think the criminal justice system in Orange County is biased in favor of, is against, or generally gives minorities fair treatment? Favors minorities: 8% Against minorities: 28% Fair treatment: 48% Don’t know: 16% +

Do you think your community’s police or sheriff’s deputies are equally tough on whites, blacks, Latinos and Asians? (Those who said “tougher” were asked: Which group is that? More than one response was accepted.)

Views of: Whites Latinos Asians All treated same 56% 42% 44% Tougher on whites 1% 2% 3% Tougher on blacks 16% 37% 26% Tougher on Latinos 22% 46% 21% Tougher on Asians 3% 2% 8% Other * * 1% Don’t know 18% 7% 20%

* Less than 0.5%

Have you ever been the victim of police brutality in Orange County?

Whites Latinos Asians Not been a victim 95% 85% 95%

+

What’s the most important problem facing your community today? (Shown are some of the top responses.) Crime: 28% Gangs: 24% Unemployment: 11% Too much growth: 10% Drugs: 7% Too much traffic: 7% Graffiti: 6% Schools are not good: 6% Illegal immigrants: 5% Recession: 5% Environment, smog: 3% Race relations: 2% +

Is there one particular area of Orange County you go out of your way to avoid because you consider it unsafe for you or your family? (Those who said yes were asked: Which area do you particularly avoid?) Santa Ana: 56% Garden Grove: 3% Anaheim: 1% Huntington Beach: 1% Little Saigon: 1% Westminster: 1% Other: 3% Avoid no area: 31% Don’t know: 3% +

Do you think any of the minority groups in Orange County are more inclined to be violent than the others? (Up to two replies accepted.)

Views of: Total Whites Latinos Asians Yes, whites 5% 3% 7% 6% Yes, Asians 26% 28% 20% 24% Yes, blacks 25% 22% 39% 24% Yes, Latinos 50% 51% 51% 45% Depends on individual 6% 5% 7% 6% No, no group more violent 22% 23% 17% 24% Don’t know 6% 6% 9% 7%

Note: Some totals do not add up to 100% because of rounding or because more than one response was allowed.

Source: Los Angeles Times Poll

How the Poll Was Conducted

The Times Poll interviewed 943 adult residents of Orange County, by telephone, Aug. 12 through 15. Telephone numbers were chosen from a list of all exchanges in the county. Random-digit dialing techniques were used to ensure that both listed and unlisted numbers had an opportunity to be contacted. Results were weighted slightly to conform with census figures for sex, race, age, education and labor force participation. Asians and Latinos were over-sampled to ensure large enough samples for analysis; these groups are weighted to their proper proportions in the overall, countywide results. While the opinions of black residents were included as part of the total countywide results for the poll, the black sample in Orange County was too small to include as a separate analysis. The margin of sampling error for percentages based on the entire sample is plus or minus 4 percentage points; for sub-groups the error margin may be somewhat higher. Interviewing was conducted in English and Spanish; only those conversant in those languages were interviewed. Selected comparative results are cited from other Times polls conducted nationwide, in Southern California, Los Angeles County and the city of Los Angeles.

A Look at This Series

Sunday: A rapidly changing populace grapples with ethnic diversification.

Today: For residents of all races, fear of escalating crime is a unifying factor.

Tuesday: Some neighborhoods see new demographics as change for the worse.

Wednesday: Whose fault is the alienation? Institutions, individuals share the blame.

What’s Your Opinion?

A Times Poll shows public concern over the state of ethnic relations in Orange County. Recent incidents highlight the potential for tensions between the races. As the county’s population becomes more diverse, what can be done to improve relations between people of different ethnic backgrounds? We’d like your opinion for use in a possible story. If you would like to respond to this question, you can contact us in the following ways:

BY FAX: (714) 966-7711

Attention: Metro Section Reader Survey / Ethnic Relations

BY MAIL:

Metro Section Reader Survey / Ethnic Relations

1375 Sunflower Ave.

Costa Mesa, Calif. 92626

BY PHONE:

TimesLink: (714) 808-8463. Then press *8310. This number is toll-free in most of Orange County.