TO: TARA SCHULTZ, CITY MANAGER
FROM: SHELLY VANDER VEEN, POLICE CHIEF
DATE: FEBRUARY 25, 2020
Reviewed by:
City Manager: TS
Finance Director: AP
SUBJECT:
Title
2019 PART I CRIME DATA
Body
SUMMARY
The Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program was established in 1930 and is used by more than 17,000 law enforcement agencies nationwide. This crime reporting effort includes City, County, State, Tribal, and Federal law enforcement agencies and provides a crime view at both the National and State levels. The program’s primary mission is to generate a reliable set of criminal statistics for use in law enforcement operations and management.
The UCR system divides crimes into Part I and Part II crimes. Part I crimes include homicide, rape, robbery, assault, burglary, theft, auto theft, and arson. Part II crimes are all other crimes.
The Claremont Police Department participates in the UCR program providing criminal offense data to the State. The State then provides the data for all participating agencies in California to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which is the designated national clearinghouse for crime data.
The Police Department utilizes this data to track crime trends and incidents of crime, to better manage our resources. The crime information is also provided to our patrol officers so they can concentrate their efforts in areas of criminal activity within their assigned patrol beats.
Annually, the Department provides the City Council, Police Commission, and the community with an overview of the criminal offenses that were reported in the previous calendar year. Contained within this agenda report are the 2019 Part I crime statistics including the following:
• Residential burglaries decreased by 23% (from 143 in 2018 to 110 in 2019)
• The number of commercial burglaries remains the same (77 in both 2018 and 2019)
• Theft decreased by nearly 15% (from 647 in 2018 to 552 in 2019)
• Robberies increased by 21% (from 19 in 2018 to 23 in 2019)
• Total Part I crimes decreased by over 16% (from 989 in 2018 to 826 in 2019)
• Lowest total Part I crimes since the first use of computers at the Police Department (back to 1985)
RECOMMENDATION
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council receive and file the 2019 Part I Crime Data Report.
Body
ALTERNATIVES TO RECOMMENDATION
In addition to the recommendation, there are the following alternatives:
A. Reject recommendation.
B. Delay recommendation and request additional information.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
The staff cost to prepare this report and administer this project is estimated at $4,153 and is included in the operating budget of the Police Department.
ANALYSIS
The Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program was established in 1930 and is used by more than 17,000 law enforcement agencies nationwide. This crime reporting effort includes City, County, State, Tribal and Federal law enforcement agencies and provides a crime view at both the National and State levels. The program’s primary mission is to generate a reliable set of criminal statistics for use in law enforcement operations and management.
The Claremont Police Department participates in the UCR program providing criminal offense data to the State. The State then provides the data for all participating agencies in California to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which is the designated national clearinghouse for crime data.
The UCR system divides crimes into Part I and Part II crimes. Part I crimes include homicide, rape, robbery, assault, burglary, theft, auto theft, and arson. Part II crimes are all other crimes. The eight crimes that make up Part I crimes are placed into two categories: violent crimes, often referred to as crimes against persons (murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault), and property crimes (burglary, theft, vehicle theft and arson).
When news reports, government leaders or law enforcement practitioners report on crime reductions or increases, they are generally referring to Part I crimes as a whole, or a grouping of crimes against persons (violent crimes) or property crimes.
Oftentimes, attempts are made to draw comparisons of crime data between cities of equal size, but this can lead to an incomplete analysis or misleading conclusions. There are several variables that can impact crime in particular jurisdictions including: population, “policing population” (residents, college students, commuters, shoppers, and tourists), economic conditions, modes of transportation, cultural conditions, and the effective strength of law enforcement agencies.
Crime statistics are one tool for local government leaders and law enforcement to look at local crime trends and patterns to identify where resources need to be directed or redirected, as well as identifying if additional resources are needed. They are also a part of the bigger picture on whether we are being effective in our law enforcement operations and our partnerships with the community.
Annually, the Police Department provides the City Council, Police Commission, and the community with an overview of the criminal offenses that were reported in the previous calendar year. In 2019, a total of 826 Part I crimes were reported compared to 989 reported in 2018. This reflects four consecutive years with a decrease in overall Part I crimes, with a more than 21% decrease over the four-year period (a reduction from 1,050 in 2015 to 826 in 2019). This is on the heels of a 17% increase in Part I crimes in 2015, when the total of Part I crimes reached 1,050. This is the lowest number of total Part I crimes since statistics were computerized at Claremont Police Department back in 1985. Refer to Attachment A and B for historical data.
The Police Department tracks and analyzes crime by looking at the City only, the Claremont Colleges only, and the City overall (City and Colleges combined). The Police Department also works with our Safe and Healthy Housing Committee to track crime in multi-family dwellings. Updates on specific crimes in the latter category are reported to the City Council biannually.
When looking at percentage increases or decreases, it’s important to recognize that Claremont’s overall low crime rate lends itself to what can appear to be very dramatic increases or decreases in crime. The following are the 2019 Part I crimes compared to the previous five years:
City Only
|
Year |
Murder |
Rape |
Robbery |
Assault |
Burglary |
Theft |
Auto Theft |
Arson |
|
2014 |
0 |
1 |
16 |
17 |
177 |
411 |
39 |
4 |
|
2015 |
1 |
10 |
15 |
35 |
211 |
473 |
53 |
1 |
|
2016 |
0 |
8 |
28 |
27 |
251 |
454 |
58 |
4 |
|
2017 |
0 |
9 |
27 |
34 |
255 |
436 |
61 |
5 |
|
2018 |
1 |
7 |
17 |
31 |
198 |
448 |
53 |
6 |
|
2019 |
0 |
5 |
21 |
21 |
161 |
384 |
27 |
6 |
|
2018 v 2019 |
-1 |
-2 |
+4 |
-10 |
-37 |
-64 |
-26 |
0 |
|
% +/- |
-100% |
-28.6% |
+23.5% |
-32.3% |
-18.7% |
-14.3% |
-49% |
0% |
Colleges Only
|
Year |
Murder |
Rape |
Robbery |
Assault |
Burglary |
Theft |
Auto Theft |
Arson |
|
2014 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
1 |
28 |
196 |
2 |
2 |
|
2015 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
38 |
201 |
9 |
0 |
|
2016 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
39 |
153 |
5 |
2 |
|
2017 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
24 |
157 |
6 |
0 |
|
2018 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
22 |
199 |
4 |
0 |
|
2019 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
26 |
168 |
4 |
0 |
|
2018 v 2019 |
0 |
-1 |
0 |
+1 |
+4 |
-31 |
0 |
0 |
|
% +/- |
0% |
-100% |
0% |
+100% |
+18.2% |
-15.6% |
0% |
0% |
City Overall
|
Year |
Murder |
Rape |
Robbery |
Assault |
Burglary |
Theft |
Auto Theft |
Arson |
|
2014 |
0 |
5 |
16 |
18 |
205 |
607 |
41 |
6 |
|
2015 |
1 |
12 |
15 |
36 |
249 |
674 |
62 |
1 |
|
2016 |
0 |
8 |
29 |
28 |
290 |
607 |
63 |
6 |
|
2017 |
0 |
9 |
30 |
35 |
279 |
593 |
67 |
5 |
|
2018 |
1 |
8 |
19 |
31 |
220 |
647 |
57 |
6 |
|
2019 |
0 |
5 |
23 |
22 |
187 |
552 |
31 |
6 |
|
2018 v 2019 |
-1 |
-3 |
+4 |
-9 |
-33 |
-95 |
-26 |
0 |
|
% +/- |
-100% |
-37.5% |
+21% |
-29% |
-15% |
-14.7% |
-45.6% |
0% |
Crimes against persons include murder, rape, robbery, and assault. Overall, there were 50 crimes against persons reported in 2019, compared to 59 in 2018, which represents a decrease of 15%.
Property Crimes include burglary, theft, auto theft and arson. There were 776 property crimes reported in 2019, compared to 930 in 2018, which represents a decrease of 16.7%.
In 2019, the City (not including the Colleges) saw a 16% decrease in crimes against persons (with 47 crimes reported in 2019 compared to 56 reported crimes in 2018) and a nearly 18% decrease in property crimes (578 reported in 2019 compared to 705 reported in 2018).
The Claremont Colleges’ crimes against persons continues to remain low, with 3 crimes against persons reported in 2019. Property crimes at the Colleges decreased by 12% in 2019 (198 reported in 2019 versus 225 in 2018).
The bulk of Claremont’s crime has always been property related crime. This year, 2019, was no different with property crime once again accounting for 94% of the Part I crimes reported. The following chart indicates the most common types of thefts included in those statistics:
|
Year |
Bike Theft Colleges |
Bike Theft City |
Theft Unlocked Vehicle |
Auto Burglary |
Residential Burglary |
Commercial Burglary |
Auto Theft |
|
2013 |
81 |
35 |
41 |
115 |
159 |
121 |
68 |
|
2014 |
122 |
61 |
88 |
90 |
154 |
51 |
41 |
|
2015 |
147 |
59 |
97 |
94 |
167 |
82 |
62 |
|
2016 |
85 |
46 |
91 |
88 |
198 |
92 |
63 |
|
2017 |
72 |
41 |
90 |
98 |
168 |
111 |
67 |
|
2018 |
104 |
31 |
93 |
108 |
143 |
77 |
57 |
|
2019 |
71 |
20 |
59 |
132 |
110 |
77 |
31 |
Thefts from unlocked vehicles decreased by 45% with 51 reported in 2019 compared to 93 the previous year. The message appears to have gotten out to the community to lock vehicles to prevent thefts, however, thefts from locked vehicles increased by 22%, with 132 reported auto burglaries compared to 108 the previous year. When analyzing the reported auto burglaries, a majority had laptops, purses, backpacks and other valuables left in plain sight, with most occurring during the day.
Auto burglaries on Mt. Baldy Road decreased by nearly 36% with only 18 occurring in 2019, compared to 38 in 2018. It appears that the message sent out in 2018, with 29% of the burglaries occurring off Mt. Baldy Road being solved with an arrest (8 arrests) continues to have an impact. This downward trend can also be attributed to the increased patrols conducted by Police Department Patrol Officers, City Park Rangers and Police Department Community Volunteers. Visitors in the area are still encouraged to remove valuables from their vehicles when leaving them unattended.
One of the big highlights for 2019, is the decrease in residential burglaries. For the third straight year, residential burglaries have decreased. In 2017, there was a 15% reduction (168 burglaries in 2017 compared to 198 in 2016) and in 2018, there was another nearly 15% reduction (143 burglaries in 2018 compared to 168 in 2017). In 2019, the residential burglaries continued to drop with a 23% decrease (110 in 2019 compared to 143 in 2018). This is a 44% reduction over a three-year period. Prior to this downward trend, residential burglaries were on a rise both in Claremont and the region as a whole. Between 2014 and 2016, Claremont experienced a 28% increase in residential burglaries with a high in 2016 of 198 residential burglaries.
In 2017, to respond to the crime trend, Los Angeles Interagency Metropolitan Police Apprehension Crime Task Force’s (L.A. Impact), originally developed to impact drug trends, added a Crime Impact Team (CIT) also referred to as LA Impact-Group 25. Group 25’s primary mission is to focus on identifying and arresting regional criminal entities, specifically those responsible for residential and commercial burglaries. In 2018, the Police Department assigned an officer to Group 25. Based on Claremont’s downward trend, it appears that this taskforce is having an impact.
After a nearly 31% reduction in commercial burglaries in 2019, statistically commercial burglaries remained the same in 2019, with 77 commercial burglaries occurring in each year.
This reduction in residential burglaries and halt in the upward trend in commercial burglaries can also be attributed to the Police Department’s use of crime analysis software, redirecting patrol coverage, and public outreach. Volunteers in marked patrol units continue to be assigned to specific areas of the city that were identified as being targeted based on crime analysis. The volunteers served as an extra set of eyes and ears providing notification to uniformed officers if suspicious activity was observed.
The community also deserves recognition, as the Police Department arrested 28 burglars in 2019, responding to alarm calls and calls from observant community members reporting suspicious behavior and/or vehicles driving in their neighborhoods. An additional 12 burglaries were solved based on officer observations and/or investigative follow-up. Claremont’s clearance rate to date (investigations still in progress), for burglaries in 2019, was nearly 18%. The FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program indicates that, in 2018, the national average clearance of burglary offenses was 13.9%.
The Department’s Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) system continues to be a valuable resource. During 2019, the ALPR system alerted patrol officers to the presence of 61 stolen vehicles being driven into Claremont, resulting in arrests of the drivers. Since 2012, the year the system was implemented, we have recovered over 500 stolen vehicles. Although impossible to provide statistics of the crimes that these arrests prevent, there is no doubt that these arrests prevent further crime. All too often, those persons we arrest driving stolen vehicles in our community are looking to commit crimes in Claremont. Our ability to identify those suspects in their stolen cars quickly prevents other crimes from being committed.
The Police Department also utilizes Bair Analytics, software that allows the Department to analyze where crimes are occurring so that resources can be allocated appropriately. The Police Department uses this software to provide weekly statistics as to where the residential and commercial burglaries are occurring. Using this information, the Department deploys decoy patrol vehicles and their personnel accordingly.
The Police Department will continue to work in partnership with the community in crime prevention and reduction sending the message, “See Something Say Something.” The campaign is an effort to encourage the community to be part of the solution by reporting suspicious activity immediately.
RELATIONSHIP TO CITY PLANNING DOCUMENTS
Staff has evaluated the agenda item in relationship to the City’s strategic and visioning documents and finds the following:
Council Priorities - This item addresses the Council Priority to deploy resources to impact crime and traffic collision rates.
Sustainability Plan - This item does not apply to the goals of Sustainability Plan.
Economic Sustainability Plan - This item does not apply to the recommendations outlined in the Economic Sustainability Plan.
General Plan - This item relates to the following goals of the General Plan:
6-1: Work to promote a safe community in which residents can live, work and play.
6-9: Provide effective and comprehensive policing services and enforce laws in an equitable way.
6-9.8: Initiate proactive crime suppression and prevention strategies throughout the community.
2019-20 Budget - This item addresses the following goals and objectives of the Police Department’s Work Plan:
PS-1: Effectively manage department operations.
PS-3: Maintain a safe community, in which citizens can reside, work and visit.
PS-9: Investigate all reported crimes occurring in the community with an emphasis on clearing investigations through identification, arrest and prosecution of suspects.
PS-10: Initiate proactive crime suppression and prevention strategies throughout the community.
PS-29: Provide crime and traffic research and analysis to department staff in an effort to reduce crime and traffic related incidents.
PS-33: Effectively utilize technology and deploy resources to impact crime and traffic safety in the community.
Youth and Family Master Plan - This item does relate to the Police Department objectives in the Youth and Family Master Plan by:
Objective 8. Provide a Safe, Secure and Sustainable Environment.
CEQA REVIEW
Receiving and filing the 2019 Part I Crime Data Report is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (Pub. Resources Code, Sec. 21000 et seq.) (“CEQA”) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) (the activities will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment) and 15060(c)(3) (the activities are not a project as defined in section 15378) of the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3. CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(5) excludes continued administrative activities and organization activities that will not result in a direct or indirect physical change in the environment from the definition of “project.”
Moreover, even if the report were a project, it would be subject to the CEQA exemptions contained in CEQA Guideline Section 15306 because the report merely consists of information collection, and Section 15061(b)(3) because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the Ordinance will have a significant effect on the environment. The receiving and filing of the 2019 Part I Crime Data Report by the City Council will not have a significant effect on the environment because the action will not result in or lead to a physical change in Claremont. Therefore, no additional environmental review is needed at this time.
PUBLIC NOTICE PROCESS
This item has been noticed through the regular agenda notification process. Copies are available at the City Hall public counter, the Youth Activity Center, the Alexander Hughes Community Center, and the City website.
Submitted by:
Shelly Vander Veen
Police Chief
Attachments
A - Part I Historical Crime Trend Graph
B - Part 1 UCR Crime Data 1985 to 2019