Crime Drops in Larger Cities

Despite a statewide rise in crime, Orange County’s downward trend continued through the first half of this year, dropping 10% in the larger cities, according to figures released Monday.

A 10.3% jump in California’s crime totals marked the first indication that a nearly decade-long decline in crime might be nearing an end.

Releasing the latest California crime index figures, Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer said he was particularly alarmed by a 9.7% increase in sexual assaults. Lockyer said he would push legislation next year that would expand the number of convicted criminals required to give DNA samples to the state’s growing DNA database.

The database now includes samples from people convicted of certain sexual or violent offenses. Lockyer’s proposal, which is likely to face tough opposition in the state Senate, would require anyone convicted of a felony to give a DNA sample. The change would have sweeping repercussions for investigators trying to solve crimes, Lockyer said.

In contrast to the state numbers, Orange County statistics showed that sexual assaults fell 4.9%, totaling 158 during the first half of 2000, down from 166 for the same period a year earlier. While violent crimes rose 1.6% statewide last year, in Orange County there was a 5.2% decline in the nine largest jurisdictions, new statistics indicated.

The California crime index released Monday measures homicides, rapes, assaults, robberies, burglaries and vehicle thefts in jurisdictions with more that 100,000 people. Of the county’s biggest cities, Orange enjoyed the largest decrease in crime, at 19.8%. By comparison, Irvine had a 1% decline but historically has had one of the county’s lowest crime rates.