NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 24, 2011
Contact: Mark V. Bozigian (661) 723-6133
Lancaster Crime Rate Lowest in more than 15 Years Crime Rate Down 34% since 2007 and below 300 per 10,000 residents LANCASTER, CA – The City of Lancaster‟s overall Part I crime rate has declined to less than 300 crimes per 10,000 residents, the first time the City‟s serious crime rate has been below 300 since at least 1996.
Further, the 298.6 crime rate for 2010
represents a dramatic reduction of nearly 34% in just three years, from a crime rate of 449.4 in 2007. Vigilant and targeted enforcement efforts by the Los Angeles County Sheriff‟s Department (LASD), a significant and sustained resource commitment by the Lancaster City Council, focused public safety initiatives by the Lancaster Criminal Justice Commission, substantial code enforcement and neighborhood improvement efforts, and a community-wide aggressive stance towards gangs and crime have made Lancaster a demonstrably safer City. “In 2007, our City was overrun by gangs and crime and many hard-working families and long-time residents were leaving Lancaster. Today, we are a much safer, happier, and more engaged City. Together, we have built a better, safer Lancaster for our children and grandchildren,” said Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris. “There is no mistaking the fact that we have gained the upper hand in reducing crime. Primary credit and thanks go to the tireless efforts of our more than 400 Neighborhood Watch and Business Watch groups, as well as our strong partnership with the Los Angeles County Sheriff‟s Department and our great friend, Sheriff Lee Baca.” To put the magnitude of the City‟s crime reduction into perspective, there were 2,107 fewer serious crimes in Lancaster in 2010 than in 2007, despite an increase in population. This equates to nearly 6 fewer serious crimes every day and more than 40 -
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City of Lancaster 44933 Fern Avenue Lancaster, California 93534 (661) 723-6000
2 fewer serious crimes each week in 2010. Below is a summary of the number of crimes from 2007 through 2010 in each of the Part I crime categories which comprise the City‟s crime rate: Total Part I Crimes
Change 2007
2008
2009
2010
Homicide
13
11
10
8
- 38%
Rape
59
61
60
60
+ 1%
Robbery
435
354
322
255
- 41%
Assault
811
765
584
578
- 29%
Burglary
1,612
1,562
1,206
1,033
- 36%
Larceny / Theft
2,599
2,465
1,829
1,939
- 25%
845
505
472
439
- 48%
89
64
50
44
- 51%
6,463
5,787
4,533
4,356
- 33%
Grand Theft Auto Arson TOTAL
2007-2010
According to final statistics from the Los Angeles County Sheriff‟s Department (LASD), Part I crimes per 10,000 residents in 2010 fell to 298.6, from 312.5 in 2009. This decline represents a 4.4 % decline in the City‟s crime rate for 2010. Crime rate takes into account changes in population and is consistent with the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) criteria. Below is a summary of the percentage change from 2009 to 2010 in each of the Part I crime categories which comprise the City‟s crime rate: Change
Crime Rate
Part I Crime
from 2009
2009
2010
2009
2010
Homicide
-20.4%
0.7
0.5
10
8
Rape
- 0.5%
4.1
4.1
60
60
Robbery
-21.2%
22.2
17.5
322
255
Assault
- 1.6%
40.3
39.6
584
578
Burglary
-14.8%
83.1
70.8
1,206
1,033
Larceny / Theft
+ 5.4%
126.1
132.9
1,829
1,939
Grand Theft Auto
- 7.5%
32.5
30.1
472
439
Arson
-12.5%
3.4
3.0
50
44
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Total Crimes
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City of Lancaster 44933 Fern Avenue Lancaster, California 93534 (661) 723-6000
3 “Crime reduction is more than just numbers,” noted Lancaster Vice Mayor Ron Smith. “What this really means is our neighborhoods are much safer and thousands of our citizens will not be victimized.” Of particular note in Lancaster‟s crime statistics were the double-digit reductions in burglaries and auto thefts since 2007. From 2007 to 2010, burglaries in Lancaster dropped 36% and auto thefts were reduced by 48%. “These property crimes have a particularly invasive impact on neighborhoods,” said Mayor Parris. “Our LASD Burglary Suppression Team has been key in reducing these crimes. However, crimes like these which affect neighborhoods can only be addressed effectively through a partnership between the Sheriff‟s Department and the neighborhoods. These reductions would not have been possible without our dedicated and active Neighborhood Watch Groups, which now number more than 200. They are truly responsible for this.” Lancaster Sheriff‟s Captain Axel Anderson commented on the importance of community support and volunteer efforts in making Lancaster a safer city.
“Our
deputies have done a great job attacking crime, and I know our citizens recognize and appreciate their efforts,” said Captain Anderson. “In 2010 alone, the dedicated deputies at Lancaster Station made more than 13,000 arrests. However, we also owe a great deal of thanks to the „unsung heroes‟ we work with every day; our civilian employees, station volunteers, and especially our great Sheriff‟s Booster Club. We would not be where we are without these incredible individuals.” “Public safety is the number one priority for our entire City staff. Their hard work and creativity have been key in reducing our crime rate,” stated Lancaster City Manager Mark V. Bozigian. “Of equal importance to our public safety is the ongoing partnership between the City and the Sheriff‟s Department in making City streets safer for residents and visitors. We have seen tremendous progress over the last few years in this regard.”
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City of Lancaster 44933 Fern Avenue Lancaster, California 93534 (661) 723-6000
4 Below is a year-to-year comparison of some key traffic statistics for Lancaster:
Traffic Incidents
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Total Collisions
2,765
2,621
2,318
2,232
2,075
Injury Collisions
996
820
701
684
706
DUI Collisions
91
92
91
116
86
Fatal Collisions
20
16
11
7
9
“Our deputies, residents, and businesses should be proud of what we have accomplished over the last three years to bring safety back to our community,” stated Mayor Parris. “We will continue to undertake aggressive and creative enforcement operations, policies, and initiatives to drive our crime rate even lower. However, the Sheriff‟s Department cannot do it alone; we need the contributions of everyone. This includes not only residents, but also the active contributions of the education, faithbased, medical, business, and criminal justice communities.
Safe communities are
active and engaged communities.”
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City of Lancaster 44933 Fern Avenue Lancaster, California 93534 (661) 723-6000
