Costa Mesa violent crime falls

Marisa O’Neil

Violent crime in the city has dropped, according to preliminary 2004

statistics released this week -- a change police credit to their

community-policing approach.

The California Department of Justice compared 2003 crime-rate

statistics with those of 2004. The number of violent crimes --

homicides, rapes, robberies and assaults -- in Costa Mesa dropped

from 304 in 2003 to 284 last year, a 6.6% drop.

Newport Beach statistics were not included in the report, which

surveyed 79 jurisdictions with populations of 100,000 or more.

Costa Mesa Police Department’s increased concentration on

community involvement and dealing with small issues before they get

unwieldy may have helped keep the numbers of violent crimes lower,

Sgt. Marty Carver said.

“I believe community policing has a huge impact,” Carver said. “A

large part of that is getting the community more involved so they’re

not afraid to call when something happens.”

The biggest change was in the number of aggravated assaults, which

dropped 14.8% in 2004.

Part of that may be due to officers talking with bar and club

owners, asking them to restrict alcohol sales to customers who are

already intoxicated, Carver said. The combination of alcohol and

crowds can fuel tempers, leading to incidents of assault.

The city reported three homicides in 2004, compared with one in

2003. Two last year were domestic homicides and the third involved

the death of an infant, which is still under investigation.

Costa Mesa did see a 3.7% rise in property crimes -- burglary,

stolen cars and thefts greater than $400 -- in 2004.

The most significant upward change was in the number of stolen

cars, a 10.6% increase over 2003.

Thieves often target cars because selling the parts is a lucrative

racket, Carver said.

Many of the property thefts are crimes of opportunity, Carver

said. If a potential thief sees a briefcase in a car or an open

window, he or she may take advantage of that, he said.

“We try to educate the public. Remember things like don’t leave

your garages open. As long as people are doing things like that,

there are going to be people who prey on those crimes.”

Working with the public and educating them through programs like

the department’s citizens police academy helps residents protect

themselves against many crimes, he said. Chief John Hensley, who took

over in 2003, has increased the department’s focus on community

policing.

“It’s a good change,” Carver said of the latest statistics. “It

shows we’re still decreasing in some areas and there are other areas

we could improve. It’s nice to see the numbers going down. I think

it’s a result of things we’re doing. If we get the community working

with police, we have another 100,000 eyeballs out there.”