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Rideshare Week challenge winners announced underline spacer
First quarter transportation progress report underline spacer
Property crime drops in first half of 2009
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Construction starts on Escondido Rapid Bus project underline spacer
Compass Card update underline spacer
'Vanpool Challenge' results in 10 new vanpoolsunderline spacer
2009-2013 Draft Coordinated Plan available for comment
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November Board of Directors meeting actions
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   the rEgion
 

Property crime drops in first SANDAG
half of 2009

Fears that the downturn in the economy would result in increased crime have not been realized so far, with countywide statistics for the first half of 2009 showing a slight decrease in the overall crime rate, and a big decline in property crime.

“While there seems to have been the expectation in some circles that the crime rate may go up with the economic situation in 2009, this has not been the case,” said SANDAG Director of Criminal Justice Research Dr. Cynthia Burke. Rather, our mid-year statistics show the overall downward trend in crime rates continuing.”

Crime in the San Diego Region Mid-Year 2009 Statistics, a report just released by SANDAG, found a dramatic 18 percent decrease in property crime compared to the same time period last year. The annualized rate of 22.18 property crimes per 1,000 residents for the first six months of 2009 was down from 27.08 at mid-year 2008.

The statistics, gathered from all 18 cities and the unincorporated area, detail crime from the beginning of January to the end of June, 2009. There were declines in the numbers of reported burglaries, larcenies, and motor vehicle thefts.

The mid-year violent crime rate (homicide, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault) also dropped slightly, from 3.96 incidents per 1,000 residents in 2008 to 3.94 in 2009. There were 39 homicides in the county in the first six months of the year, compared to 49 in 2008.

Both the mid-year property crime and violent crime rates were at ten-year lows, continuing an overall trend that has seen steady declines for several years.

Project Manager

Cynthia Burke, Division Director, Criminal Justice Research
Phone: (619) 699-1910, E-mail: cbu@sandag.org