BUENA PARK
Preliminary reports indicate that crime in the city dropped, in some cases significantly, in 1999.
“The crime stats are so low, they’re going lower than the lowest point that we actually have statistics for,” said Sgt. Chris Nunez of the Police Department. “They are probably at the lowest we’ve ever been.”
Two homicides were reported last year, and although there was only one in 1998, previous years show that homicides have decreased by at least half. In 1993, the worst year, seven murders were reported for the city.
For the following crimes, all statistics exclude the month of December. Final reports will be available next week, Nunez said.
In 1999, 13 rapes were reported, down from 23 the previous year. Police reported 437 burglaries in 1998 and 314 in 1999. Robberies went from 139 two years ago to 90 last year. Auto theft also decreased from 447 in 1998 to 275 in 1999.
Nunez said the department receives about 40,000 emergency and nonemergency calls a year.
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