Overall Crime in Antelope Valley Drops Slightly in ’93

Crime in this north Los Angeles County region decreased slightly in 1993, although there was a significant jump in the number of arson fires, according to a report released Thursday by the Antelope Valley Sheriff’s Station.

The total number of crimes dropped by 1% to 14,214 in 1993, compared to 1992’s total of 14,454.

“Overall crime has remained consistent in the Antelope Valley,” said Sgt. Bob Denham. There were 215 reported arson blazes in the Antelope Valley last year, compared to 97 in 1992. Much of the increase is because of last summer’s arson grass fires, most of which were set by minors, Denham said.

The number of assaults also climbed in 1993. There were 3,487 assaults in 1993, a jump of 3% over the 3,378 assaults in 1992.

“A lot of it has to do with domestic violence,” Denham said. “We are seeing a lot of domestic violence.”

A new computerized system of tallying crime statistics also may have an impact, he said. The 1993 crime report is the first by the automated system, which may be more accurate than the former method of manually tracking the statistics.

Not all categories of crime increased in 1993 in the Antelope Valley, where the 1993 population was estimated at 295,392. The number of homicides, burglaries, larcenies, and robberies all dropped in 1993 compared to the previous year.

“We’re very encouraged when we see burglaries and larcenies go down,” said Denham, noting the decline is probably the result of residents’ increased awareness of crime and increased involvement in neighborhood watch programs. “People are locking up their homes more, keeping their garages locked.”

Throughout the Antelope Valley, the number of burglaries dropped from 3,296 to 3,012 while larcenies fell from 5,267 to 4,742. The number of robberies declined 2% from 566 to 553.

Denham said the decrease in homicides, from 38 in 1992 to 27 in 1993, is not telling because the number is too low to indicate a trend.

An area of concern is the rise in grand thefts of automobiles, which jumped 21% in 1993 to 2,047, he said. In the Antelope Valley, he said, the cars most frequently stolen are average family cars, taken between 1 and 4 a.m. from residential neighborhoods.

Car owners, Denham said, should keep their vehicles in their garage at night and make sure they are locked and that the keys are not inside.

“There’s a lot of demand for (stolen) autos,” he said. “There’s a big market.”