Major Crime Declines for 10th Year

Despite an increase in homicides, the number of major crimes in Garden Grove decreased in 1999 for the 10th straight year, police reported this week.

A major reason is the decline in people in the “crime committing” ages of 14-23, according to Garden Grove Capt. David Abrect.

Greater public awareness and involvement, low unemployment and economic growth have also been critical factors, along with tougher sentencing of habitual and career criminals, he said.

Police reported a 2.5% decrease in major crimes, which include murder, rape, robbery, felony assault, burglary and auto theft. The total dropped from 5,625 in 1998 to 5,481 in 1999.

Over the last 10 years the number of major crimes has decreased almost 53% from 10,404 in 1990.

Garden Grove has had the third-lowest crime rate nationwide for cities with populations between 150,000 and 200,000, according to the FBI uniform crime report for 1998.

This is despite the fact that Garden Grove has the lowest police-to-population ratio nationwide, at 1.04 officers per 1,000 residents.

“We just have to work smarter,” said Lt. John Woods. “We focus on community policing, where we take care of a situation, not just respond and put a Band-Aid on the problem.”

Still, despite the city’s overall drop in crime, the number of homicides jumped from seven in 1998 to 11 last year.

Woods attributed the increase to a rash of highly publicized multiple slayings in 1999.

The multiple killings included the bloody attack at Robotek Motorsports on Brookhurst Street in August, when a gunman shot six people, killing two.

The crime was similar to an attack at ZOOMi Racing Automotive in June, when a gunman killed one patron and injured another. Police say they are still investigating leads in both cases, which remain unsolved. Most recently, a Villa Park teenager was arrested in the stabbing deaths of Jose and Elena Najera in their Garden Grove home in December.

Woods said homicides are the most difficult crimes to prevent.

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Chris Ceballos can be reached at (714) 966-7440.