Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Thefts in Lancaster Rise as Crime in Region Drops

Burglaries and robberies increased slightly in Lancaster in 1994, but overall crime in the Antelope Valley dropped, according to a report released Friday by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Taken as a whole, the numbers reflect a few isolated crime sprees, the nationwide trend of increased auto thefts and population growth in northern Los Angeles County, said Sgt. Bobby Denham of the sheriff’s Antelope Valley station.

Robberies and burglaries in Lancaster increased 17% and 18% respectively, but were down slightly in Palmdale.

There were 10 homicides in Lancaster, up from eight in 1993; reported rapes in the city increased from 49 to 59. Homicides in Palmdale also increased by one, from 10 in 1993 to 11 last year. Reported rapes there decreased from 50 to 44.

But the crime rate, or crimes per 10,000 people, was down slightly throughout the area.

“Any time we don’t see dramatic increases in actual crimes or the crime rate, that’s very encouraging,” Denham said.

He added that efforts like Target Oriented Policing, which attempts to identify and combat specific types of crimes, can also be tailored to reflect the latest figures. Reducing car thefts--which increased by 10% in Lancaster and 15% in Palmdale--burglaries and robberies will be police priorities for 1995, Denham said.

Denham also noted that an increasing population can bring on problems. The greater Antelope Valley has seen an 8% increase in population since 1993.

“Population figures definitely influence crime numbers,” Denham said. “Overall it’s looking pretty good when you see an area growing as rapidly as the Antelope Valley and the crime rate is declining.”

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