Crime rates dropped a fraction in...

Crime rates dropped a fraction in Surf City

Crime rates in the city dropped a fraction while rates in the

county rose slightly, according to figures released by the State

Attorney General’s Office

Crime dropped .3% in 2001 from 2000, while crime throughout the

county rose 7% over the same period in all but eight cities.

Crime has dropped steadily in the Surf City for the past 10 years,

said Huntington Beach Police Sgt. Gary Meza.

“We’ve got a proactive, aggressive police department,” Meza said,

adding that community programs have established a good rapport with

residents that makes them willing to call the police when they see

things happen. They aren’t afraid of getting involved, Meza said.

Huntington Beach was named the safest large city in the county and

the eighth safest largest city in the state by the FBI this past

June.

In 1993 Surf City was named America’s safest city of the largest

100 U.S. cities by Morgan Quitno Press.

Vandal caught tearing down City Council candidate signs

A Long Beach man may face vandalism charges after he was spotted

cutting down a 4- by 8-foot campaign sign of City Council candidate

Cathy Green.

Firefighters saw the 22-year-old man cutting down the sign on the

southeast corner of Goldenwest Street and McFadden Avenue on Sept. 26

at about 9:15 p.m. and called the police, Sgt. Gary Meza of the

Huntington Beach Police Department said.

The man used a box cutter to take the sign down and was with a

22-year-old woman from Santa Ana.

The incident caught Green off guard.

“I was very surprised, particularly when they told me that they

were from out of town,” Green said. “I would like to know if they

were put up to it.”

This isn’t the first campaign sign of Green’s that has been cut

down. Three or four other signs have been removed from various

locations, she said.

“It’s hard enough to raise money [for signs] without having to

replace them,” Green said.

The police report has been sent to the district attorney’s office

and charges may be pressed, Meza said.

--complied by Jose Paul Corona