Gang Homicides Drop in Santa Ana
The number of gang killings in Santa Ana fell to seven in 1999 from 15 the year before, according to a report released Tuesday by the Police Department’s Street Terrorism Offenders Program.
The report is the latest indicator of Santa Ana’s falling crime rates, officials said, and proof that an aggressive police crackdown on gangs is paying off.
The study highlighted several trends:
* Some gangs are increasingly involved in narcotics trafficking, which is prompting more monitoring by police as well as the FBI.
* With homicides down, officers are focusing more on other types of gang crimes. As a result, the report says, the police gang unit handled roughly 20% more cases in 1999 than in 1998.
* The number of felony assaults declined to 123 last year from 129 in 1998.
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