10% Increase in Crime for 1st Quarter Reported; Burglaries, Thefts Cited

SANTA CLARITA —  A sharp jump in burglaries and thefts resulted in a 10% increase in crime in the Santa Clarita Valley during the first three months of this year, sheriff’s officials said.

Although the rate of serious crimes such as homicide, rape and robbery remained almost exactly the same as the first quarter of last year, overall crime was on the rise, according to statistics from the Santa Clarita station of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

The station’s deputies patrol a 650-square-mile area that stretches from Gorman to Acton and is home to about 180,000 people.

From Jan. 1 to March 31, 240 burglaries were reported in the station’s patrol area, an increase of more than 50% from the same period in 1997. Larcenies--thefts that do not involve illegal entry or violence--rose from 402 in 1997 to 457 this year, statistics show.

Although no homicides were reported during the first three months of the year, there were four rapes and 16 robberies, compared with one homicide, three rapes and 18 robberies in the first quarter of last year. Auto thefts dropped from 114 to 89 and arson from 15 incidents to nine.

A rash of burglaries in January was the main factor contributing to the higher rate of crime in the first quarter, said Sheriff’s Lt. Tim Peters.

“In the last three years, burglaries have been reduced tremendously, so it doesn’t surprise me to see them bump back up a little bit,” Peters said. “The numbers are only based on three months, so I don’t think you can call it a trend.”

Despite the 10% increase, officials said that crime rates in the area are still low when compared with most other Los Angeles County communities.