Crime shot up in 2001, stats show

Deepa Bharath

Crime figures for 2001 shot up in Costa Mesa and showed a mild

increase in Newport Beach, according to the 2001 Uniform Crime Report

released by the FBI on Monday.

The total number of crimes in Costa Mesa went up by 16.1%, while

crime in Newport Beach rose by 1.9% compared to the year 2000, the

report showed.

For Costa Mesa, the highest increases were reflected in robberies,

which skyrocketed by 115.2%. Also in the category of violent crimes,

forcible rape was up by 27.2% and assaults increased by 13.4%. Among

property crimes, burglaries were up by 26.7% and thefts by 14.5%. The

only category that showed a decrease was vehicle thefts, by 0.4%.

Costa Mesa Police Chief Dave Snowden said the numbers that started

climbing in 2001 are well on their way down this year.

The department has created an undercover unit that has been

successful against street crimes, especially robberies, he said.

A special task force that was created to combat auto thefts, which

were on the rise in 2000, was also effective, bringing down such

thefts in 2001, Snowden said.

“We are constantly looking at our numbers and reports and making

adjustments,” he said. “Both our task force and our undercover unit

are still in effect, and we have seen and are continuing to see a

steady decrease in crime [in 2002].”

Newport Beach’s biggest increases were in the categories of

robbery, which went up by 84.2%, and assaults, which were up by 24%.

Burglaries also increased by 3.4% and auto thefts by 4.4%. Rapes,

murders, arson and thefts declined.

Newport Beach Police Lt. John Klein said the robbery numbers look

deceptive because the number of robberies was low in 2000 and high in

2001.

“Our three-year average in that category is 28,” he said. “The

report shows there were 35 in 2001 and 19 in 2000.”

Klein said the department has not seen alarming rates of increase

in crime from this report.

“We evaluate our numbers on a regular basis and use them to decide

how to allocate our resources,” he said.

Klein said that oftentimes, a slowing economy leads to increases

in auto thefts and vehicle burglaries.

Such information is used to educate the public about the crimes

that are most rampant, he said.

For example, Newport Beach residents are most commonly victims of

auto thefts and vehicle burglaries, Klein said.

“We have an affluent community with high-end cars, and people do

tend to leave behind valuable items such as computers and cell phones

in their vehicles,” he said. “So, we educate them about how to create

less opportunities and harden the target.”

* DEEPA BHARATH covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at [email protected].