AGOURA HILLS : Serious Crime Down 15% From 1992 to ’93

Serious crime dropped approximately 15% in the city between 1992 and 1993, ranking Agoura Hills in sixth place among Los Angeles County cities that showed significant decreases in crime during that period, according to a study.

Violent crimes and property crimes dropped from a combined total of 718 in 1992 to 610 in 1993, according to Tyler A. Foshe, a crime analyst for Crime Watch Consultants of Marina del Rey. The study did not break down the crimes by category.

Sierra Madre showed the largest decrease at 18.4%, according to the study. Malibu was second at 18.2% while Maywood was third, at 17.9%.

That was followed by Lynwood, at 17.8% and Bell, at 17.6%, the study said. San Fernando was seventh, with a 14.3% decrease.

Deputy Joe Grasso, a public information officer at the Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station, said serious crime decreased throughout much of the county during that period.

Law enforcement officials aren’t sure why crime is down but they have some theories. One is that the many natural disasters in 1993, such as flooding, curtailed criminal activity.

“Criminals do not like to come out in the rain,” he said. “We’ve noticed that when it’s raining, crime drops.”

The fires last fall could also have curtailed some kinds of criminal activity, such as burglary, he said, because so many residential areas were inaccessible.

Authorities also speculate, Grasso said, that the disasters might have made people less likely to report crime.

“What it boils down to is reported crime versus unreported crime,” he said. After disasters, “they trivialize things and people accept it: ‘I’ve just been through fire, earthquakes and floods. If my stereo got ripped off, I’ll just accept it.’ ”