Violent crime drops in GG and HB

VIOLENT CRIME dropped in Garden Grove and Westminster for the first six months of 2016, according to any FBI report released Friday.

Violent crime is down in Garden Grove and Huntington Beach, according to figures released Friday by the FBI. In its nationwide study of cities with a population of 100,000 and over, four of the seven OC cities recorded an increase in the period of January to June 2016.

In Garden Grove, the number of violent crimes dropped from 267 for the first six months of 2015 to 252 for a similar period in 2016. Decreases came in robbery and aggravated assault. Murders were level at one each year. Burglaries showed a sharp increase, going from 380 to 448.

For Huntington Beach, the number of violent crimes fell from 178 to 170 over the one-year period. Robberies were down, but aggravated assaults rose. There were no murders reported in either period. Burglaries fell from 360 incidents to 317.

Otherwise, violent crime declined in Anaheim (from 628 incidents to 620) and increased in Costa Mesa (188 to 199), Irvine (59 to 74), Orange (96 to 104) and Santa Ana (773 to 868). In Santa Ana, the number of murders jumped from six to 13.

The report also stated that violent crime in the U.S. showed an overall increase of 5.3 percent. Each of the offenses in the violent crime category— murder and non-negligent manslaughter, rape, aggravated assault, and robbery—experienced increases: aggravated assaults rose 6.5 percent; murders increased 5.2 percent; rapes (original definition) were up 4.4 percent and rapes (revised definition) increased 3.5 percent; and robberies were up 3.2 percent.

Property theft nationally dropped by 0.6 percent with burglaries down by 3.4 percent, but auto theft jumped by 6.6 percent.