EDITORIAL

Costa Mesa again ranked 30th on the FBI’s list of California’s safest

cities with a population greater than 100,000.

While it would disturb us more if Costa Mesa failed to make the list

altogether, we can’t help but notice that all other large Orange County

cities placed higher on the list. That leaves Costa Mesa behind such

cities as Anaheim, Garden Grove and Santa Ana.

It’s obviously prestigious to make the list of the 30 safest cities in

a state as large as California and for that we think Costa Mesa’s Police

Department, under the leadership of Chief Dave Snowden, should be proud.

But we have to ask, should Costa Mesa really place behind those three

aforementioned Orange County cities?

We think not.

While bordered on the east by Santa Ana, Costa Mesa also neighbors

Fountain Valley, Newport Beach and Huntington Beach -- the latter of

which placed eighth on the list, one ahead of Irvine.

What also stands out in the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report is that Costa

Mesa’s total crime rate actually rose 16.1% in 2001. All categories of

violent crime reflected increases, as well. The categories include

forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault and murder.

We acknowledge the stats can be misleading. Having low crime rates can

sometimes show a greater increase in the statistics than what is actual.

For example, if a city had zero homicides one year, and then only one the

next, the statistics will reflect a 100% increase.

Still, city officials should not ignore any increase in the

statistics. The report is studied and prepared for a reason and the city

should aim to best itself each year.

One category in which the Police Department has begun to make progress

is auto thefts, which showed a slight decrease. The department set out to

best itself in that category by creating a task force to combat auto

thefts. We applaud that progress and hope police officials continue to

make strides on that problem.

Costa Mesa is a great city and people should feel safe living,

shopping and working here.

But it can be an even greater and safer city and we shouldn’t expect

anything less. Nor should the city.