San Gabriel Valley : MIXED BAG

Murders in Pasadena dropped 11% during the first six months of 1995 compared with the same period last year, but the number of rapes doubled, from 14 to 28, FBI statistics show.

Overall, crime in the city increased about 23% compared with the first half of 1994, with crimes against property jumping by one-third.

One of every 29 Pasadena residents was a victim of burglary, theft or arson in the first half of this year.

“For the year, I anticipate a slight decrease in violent crime, a big drop in the murder rate,” said acting Police Chief Robert Huff.

“But overall crime is up mainly because of more auto burglaries and shoplifting.”

According to police figures, there have been 14 homicides in the city this year, compared with 19 for all of 1994.

Huff attributes the drop to better anti-gang operations because most of Pasadena’s murders were gang-related.

“For the past six months we have been putting a lot of pressure on the gangs,” he said.

The city recently got a temporary restraining order against 35 alleged members of a Pasadena gang, restricting illegal--as well as some legal--activities in an 18-square-block area of northwest Pasadena.

Police say the increase in rapes, going against the national trend, is because more victims came forward and the number dipped last year.

Huff said he expects overall crime to climb by about 5% to 7% in 1995 compared to the previous year because of a large increase in thefts from vehicles and shops.

“We have made a lot of arrests for theft from autos but the jails are so crowded these people don’t get time,” Huff said.

To prevent car thefts, the city is beefing up regular police patrols with citizen patrols, he said.