County Crime Fell 5.3% in 1994; Murders Declined 13% : Law enforcement: The drop mirrors a national trend. Despite O.C. reductions in most major categories, however, violent crime was up 3.8%. Rapes and aggravated assaults led increase.

Every major crime category in the FBI’s annual crime survey fell in Orange County last year except rape and aggravated assault, following a national pattern that saw crime diminish.

In Orange County, murders and burglaries fell by nearly 13%. Car thefts dropped by 6%. Larcenies were off by 4% and robberies by 1%.

But rapes rose by 11% and aggravated assaults by 8%.

Overall, Orange County’s crime rate dipped slightly in 1994, by 5.3%, while violent crime increased by 3.8% here.

According to the FBI’s annual crime in the United States report released Saturday, there was a 2% drop in crime throughout the nation last year, including a 4% decrease in violent crime.

The falling numbers in most crime categories offered encouragement to local law enforcement groups and residents, who have consistently listed crime among their major worries.

In Garden Grove, Police Chief Stanley L. Knee said his department’s ongoing effort in community policing is paying major dividends.

The city of 148,000 saw overall crime decrease from 9,550 to 8,265, with declines in murder, robbery, burglary and motor vehicle theft.

Knee said his 175-officer police force has identified high-crime areas such as the Buena Clinton neighborhood in east Garden Grove and made an effort to boost the presence of police there.

“When you can focus on an area and get people involved in crime fighting, crime goes down, sometimes significantly,” said Knee, who has been police chief in Garden Grove since 1992.

“What you wind up doing is forging a team, not only of officers, but people who live there, who own property there and who rent there. When you focus all those resources and energy in an area you can really have a positive effect. That’s basically the idea of community policing.”

Buena Clinton went from being one of the highest crime areas in the city to “not even in the top 20,” Knee said.

Individual robbery, burglary, larceny and car theft rates were also down in the county, but car thefts continued to plague most North County cities.

FBI analysts estimated that there were about 5,000 crimes committed per 100,000 Orange County residents last year, while violent crimes were committed at a rate of 554 per 100,000 residents.

Murders occurred at a rate of about seven per 100,000 residents.

Lake Forest, La Habra, Los Alamitos, Laguna Beach, San Juan Capistrano and Dana Point were among the safest cities in Orange County, reporting no homicides in 1994.

Brea, Buena Park, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Mission Viejo, Tustin and Westminster showed decreases in homicides, with Westminster reporting only five murders, compared with 10 in 1993.

Newport Beach also enjoyed modest success in fighting crime last year. Although its overall crime index was only slightly lower--3,690 in 1993 to 3,500 in 1994--forcible rape, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny-theft and motor vehicle theft all declined, in some cases significantly.

“That’s the trend we have seen in the past several years,” said Sgt. Andy Gonis, the department’s spokesman. “Statistics don’t really tell the whole picture, of course, but we are trying to work more closely with the community.”

Gonis said his department has instituted what it calls a “problem-oriented policing program” where officers are assigned to a specific area and are made more familiar with the inherent problems of that area.

They spend more time in their beat, he said. They park there and write reports on the streets, get to know residents and sometimes begin foot patrols, Gonis said.

“Over time, they develop more of an ownership of their beat,” Gonis said. “When specific problems occur, they can try to resolve them with long-term solutions.”

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County Crime Decline

Orange County crime declined 5% from 1993 to 1994, led by the 6% decline in property crimes. Although violent crimes increased, murder and robbery declined. The comparison:

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1993 1994 % change Total violent crime 13,456 14,002 4 Murder 196 171 -13 Rape 546 605 11 Robbery 5,567 5,532 -1 Aggravated assault 7,147 7,694 8 Total property crime 121,756 113,943 -6 Burglary 27,418 23,877 -13 Larceny/theft 73,050 69,959 -4 Motor vehicle theft 21,288 20,107 -6 All crime 135,212 127,945 -5

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Source: Uniform Crime Reports, U.S. Department of Justice

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City Crime Eases

Most of Orange County’s cities saw a decline in crime during 1994. Violent crime dropped in half, while property crimes, which comprise about 90% of all offenses, fell in 24 of 30. Results for Villa Park were not available. Violent crimes consist of murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery and aggravated assault. Property crimes include burglary, larceny/theft, motor vehicle theft and arson.

Violent Crimes

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% change Rate per City Total from ’93 10,000 Anaheim 2,644 N/A 95 Brea 124 -3 36 Buena Park 444 6 62 Costa Mesa 440 -1 45 Cypress 146 -2 32 Dana Point 176 2 47 Fountain Valley 172 14 31 Fullerton 543 -13 46 Garden Grove 1,022 11 69 Huntington Beach 651 -26 35 Irvine 165 17 14 Laguna Beach 171 -10 71 Laguna Hills 91 40 19 Laguna Niguel 107 -4 21 La Habra 408 -16 77 Lake Forest 179 8 31 La Palma 49 -18 31 Los Alamitos 37 -14 31 Mission Viejo 185 -3 24 Newport Beach 226 -18 33 Orange 619 11 54 Placentia 181 26 43 San Clemente 217 52 49 San Juan Capistrano 146 26 52 Santa Ana 3,079 -3 105 Seal Beach 66 8 26 Stanton 298 -1 97 Tustin 210 3 39 Westminster 403 1 51 Yorba Linda 81 -9 14

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Source: Uniform Crime Reports, U.S. Department of Justice

Property Crimes

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% change Rate per City Total from ’93 10,000 Anaheim 15,704 -6 563 Brea 2,238 8 656 Buena Park 4,085 1 566 Costa Mesa 6,338 -12 647 Cypress 1,983 -3 437 Dana Point 1,163 -13 311 Fountain Valley 2,737 -1 498 Fullerton 6,756 -7 584 Garden Grove 7,243 -17 488 Huntington Beach 7,583 -8 403 Irvine 4,577 3 377 Laguna Beach 1,175 -18 490 Laguna Hills 1,003 -8 208 Laguna Niguel 965 -8 190 La Habra 2,200 2 415 Lake Forest 1,783 -3 308 La Palma 541 -18 339 Los Alamitos 523 -3 431 Mission Viejo 2,439 -2 315 Newport Beach 3,274 -5 474 Orange 5,150 -6 446 Placentia 1,378 1 327 San Clemente 1,234 -2 281 San Juan Capistrano 902 -13 321 Santa Ana 14,961 -9 511 Seal Beach 803 -6 315 Stanton 1,969 -5 639 Tustin 3,252 3 600 Westminster 4,385 -7 551 Yorba Linda 1,285 -1 222

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Source: Uniform Crime Reports, U.S. Department of Justice

All Crimes

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City % change Rate per Total from ’93 10,000 Anaheim 18,348 N/A 658 Brea 2,362 8 692 Buena Park 4,529 1 628 Costa Mesa 6,778 -11 692 Cypress 2,129 -3 469 Dana Point 1,339 -11 358 Fountain Valley 2,909 -- 529 Fullerton 7,299 -8 630 Garden Grove 8,265 -14 557 Huntington Beach 8,234 -10 438 Irvine 4,742 4 391 Laguna Beach 1,346 -17 561 Laguna Hills 1,094 -6 227 Laguna Niguel 1,072 -8 211 La Habra 2,608 -1 492 Lake Forest 1,962 -2 339 La Palma 590 -18 370 Los Alamitos 560 -4 462 Mission Viejo 2,624 -2 339 Newport Beach 3,500 -6 507 Orange 5,769 -5 500 Placentia 1,559 3 370 San Clemente 1,451 3 330 San Juan Capistrano 1,048 -9 373 Santa Ana 18,040 -8 616 Seal Beach 869 2 341 Stanton 2,267 -5 735 Tustin 3,462 3 639 Westminster 4,788 -7 602 Yorba Linda 1,366 -2 236

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Source: Uniform Crime Reports, U.S. Department of Justice