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1222939000234
Mixed bag in crime report
Area cities see increases in some categories
By Ruby Gonzales, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 09/16/2008 10:01:53 PM PDT
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While violent and property crimes declined
across the nation in 2007 compared to 2006, the
picture was slightly different in local
communities.
The FBI's annual Crime in the United States
report released Tuesday showed that violent
crime decreased 0.7 percent and property crime
fell 1.4 percent.
But area cities experienced slight increases in
some crime categories. La Habra, La Habra
Heights and La Mirada saw increases in certain
violent and property crimes. Whittier reported
more robberies last year, and Santa Fe Springs
had slight increases in rapes, robberies and
assaults.
Montebello saw most offenses decrease except
for burglary. And while the number of violent
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crimes fell in Pico Rivera, there were hikes in
burglaries, thefts and arsons.
Violent crimes include murder and non-
negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery
and aggravated assault. Burglary, theft, car theft
and arson are classified under property crimes.
There were 1.4 million violent crimes reported
nationwide in 2007. Reported rapes declined by
2.5 percent; murders and non-negligent
manslaughters by 0.6 percent; aggravated
assaults by 0.6 percent; and robberies by 0.5
percent.
According to the FBI report, aggravated assault
accounted for the bulk of violent crimes reported
last year - about 60.8 percent. Robbery made up
31.6 percent, rape 6.4 percent and murder
accounted for 1.2 percent of the 2007 violent
crimes.
More than 9.8 million property crimes were
reported to law enforcement agencies
nationwide last year. The FBI excludes arson
from that total.
Car thefts declined 8.1 percent, thefts
decreased 0.6 percent and burglaries dropped
0.2 percent. The FBI estimates that last year,
victims of property crimes lost an estimated
$17.6 billion.
Thefts accounted for 66.7 percent of all the
property crimes last year.
Whittier showed no difference in the number of
10/2/2008 2:16 AM

murders, rapes and assaults, but there were 27
more robberies in 2007 - 145 total compared to
118 in 2006. Burglaries fell by 1 percent, car
thefts decreased by 8.8 percent and thefts
dropped by 20 percent.
Santa Fe Springs had two more rapes, five more
robberies and seven more assaults reported in
2007. But it also had 11 fewer burglaries, 100
fewer thefts and 84 fewer car thefts.
The number of murders in Pico Rivera dropped
from 10 to 8. The city also had nine fewer
robberies, 39 fewer assaults and 32 fewer car
thefts in 2007. But burglaries increased by about
2 percent, arson by 27 percent (four more cases)
and thefts by 15 percent.
Capt. Mike Rothans of the sheriff's Pico Rivera
Station said violent crimes declined more than 16
percent in the city and property crimes rose 5
percent.
He attributed the decline to the city increasing
the sheriff's contract. They've also focused on
gangs and graffiti.
"The city has given us the money to put
resources on the street," Rothans said.
Commercial burglaries rose, but Rothans said
residential burglaries declined. He said the
majority of thefts involved shoplifting. Rothans
said they also saw more thefts of metal, which
can be sold for scrap.
"And we're still seeing it this year," he said,
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adding that the problem is occurring in other
cities, probably due to the rising price of certain
metals.
Thieves even stole a few fire hydrants this year,
probably for the brass, Rothans said.
Montebello saw crime decline in all but one
category: Burglaries jumped 46 percent, going
from 330 in 2006 to 482 in 2007.
Montebello Police Sgt. Luis Lopez said the
department tries to take a proactive approach to
crime in general. A crime suppression unit
composed of one sergeant and six officers was in
effect last year. There are cameras placed in
parts of the city, and the department added two
more officers and a sergeant.
The crime suppression unit focuses on gangs,
taggers and quality-of-life issues.
"This unit can be proactive in problem areas,"
Lopez said.
The cameras also help, he said.
"It's a good deterrent if they know it's up there,"
Lopez said. "We believe having a system in place
deters (crime)."
Burglary, he said, is a crime of opportunity.
"We have a lot of shopping centers," he said.
Too many people leave CDs, iPods and other
valuables on the front seats of their vehicles
10/2/2008 2:16 AM

where they can be seen, he said.
La Habra had two murders in 2007, the same as
in 2006. But rapes increased from five to 19,
robberies from 51 to 66 and arson from three to
five.
La Habra police Chief Dennis Kies said four of
the rapes turned out to be unfounded, and he
was told that the FBI will remove those numbers
next year.
"I don't understand their rules and regulations,"
Kies said.
Overall, he thinks the city did pretty well.
"We're fortunate; no definite pattern to explain
why, but (we're) happy it's down. Certainly I think
it's attributed to the hard work of the people
here in the department," Kies said. "The
community is also aware."
La Habra Heights had one rape in 2007 but zero
in 2006. It saw one more robbery, four more
assaults and nine more thefts. There were 15
fewer burglaries (a 39 percent decrease) and five
fewer car thefts (a 38 percent drop).
La Mirada had no murders last year, down from
two in 2006. Robberies declined by about 5
percent, thefts by less than one percent and car
thefts by 25 percent. But assaults rose 19
percent and burglaries increased 36 percent.
Arson increased slightly, from 10 in 2006 to 14 in
2007.
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Capt. Pat Maxwell of the sheriff's Norwalk
Station, which patrols La Mirada, said the biggest
increase in assaults involved firearms. There
were three in 2006 and 12 in 2007.
"We have a small gang identified in the western
part of La Mirada in conflict with a Norwalk gang.
All (12) victims were gang members. Doesn't
mean they were shot, just that a firearm was
used in the assault," Maxwell said.
Commercial burglaries increased in the city too.
Sometimes, Maxwell said, shoplifting becomes a
burglary because the suspect went into the store
with the intent to steal something.
He said they also saw a jump in residential
burglaries but there was no clear pattern to the
break-ins.
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FBI Uniform Crime Reports
Nationwide, violent crime fell for the first time
since 2005. Property crime declined for the fifth
straight year. And each of the seven specific
offense categories -- from aggravated assault to
murder -- was down from 2006, according to the
FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program.
The agency annually releases statistics on violent
crimes like murder, rape and robbery and on
property crimes such as burglary and vehicle
theft. Not all agencies participate in the
voluntary UCR program and therefore are not
reflected in the data.
10/2/2008 2:16 AM
 http://www.whittierdailynews.com/fdcp?1222939000234

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Source: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program

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