Crime Rate Decreases by More Than 60% in Stanton

Crime rates all over Orange County have decreased, but nowhere has the rate dropped more dramatically than in Stanton.

Statistics released recently by the Federal Bureau of Investigation show that since 1990, violent crime in Stanton has dropped 66%, with almost every category showing a significant reduction.

Stanton’s statistics may follow county and national trends, but those in Stanton credit an effort to make the city’s law enforcement more effective.

Ten years ago, drug sales and usage occurred openly on Stanton streets. Prostitutes haunted Beach Boulevard and the strip malls. Gang hostilities often culminated in drive-by shootings. Fed up with its city’s reputation as the crime capital of Orange County, the City Council took action.

In 1990, the council asked Stanton police to put more officers on the streets. “We wanted to put deputies on the street so they would have a visible presence,” said City Manager Terry Matz.

Motorcycle officers working full time on traffic issues were returned to regular patrol duty. Undercover officers were put back in uniform. And a task force targeting problem areas was created, said Matz.

The council joined the effort. It prohibited parking on side streets plagued by prostitution. And council members began focusing on gang prevention, bringing in a counselor for youngsters with disciplinary and emotional problems.

The council also realized a face lift could aid its efforts. . So they obtained funding for needed street improvements and the redevelopment of some older residential areas.

The overall strategy appears to have worked. Prostitution, drugs and gang violence no longer dominate the landscape. “We made the paper quite a bit in the late 1980s, but we’re not in the headlines anymore,” said Councilman David Shawver. Encouraged by the increased police activity, citizens have begun trusting police more and cooperating with them, adding yet another facet to the fight against crime, said Mayor Harry Dotson.

Shawver said the changes have improved quality of life. “People now feel like there’s a calm about the city,” he said, a change in itself for Stanton.

Judy Silber can be reached at (714) 966-5988