Crime Rates Up in Long Beach

As the year nears its end, the Long Beach Police Department has released city crime statistics for the first three quarters of 2011, and there has been a slight increase in crime compared to last year’s statistics.

Statistics are gathered from the nine-month period of January to September, and in 2010, Long Beach witnessed one of its most successful years regarding the crime rate in 40 years.

In January of 2011, it was reported that in 2010, Long Beach posted its lowest murder rate since 1971, as violent crime dropped 13.5 percent from 2009.

In 2011, the number of violent crimes saw an increase of 1.2 percent from 2010, as 26 have occurred this year so far, according to a city press release.

However, although violent crime has increased percent-wise, murder is down 35.7 percent from 2010, as ten less murders have occurred, and rape is down 23.8 percent, as 24 less have occurred in comparison to 2010.

Fifty more cases of aggravated assault have taken place than in 2010, in addition to 10 more robberies.

But where the city only saw a small increase in violent crimes, property crimes are up 11.2 percent, as 965 occurred during the first nine months of 2011, and Total Part I Crimes are up 9.2 percent, to 991 crimes.

Property crimes include residential burglary, grand theft, arson, and bike theft, among others.

Over 299 residential burglaries have taken place from January to September of 2011 in comparison to 2010, an increase of 25.1 percent, and over 200 more cases of auto larceny have occurred compared to last year.

Grand theft is up 11.3 percent and bike theft is up 19.1 percent.

Domestic violence is up 4.2 percent from 2010, as over 59 instances have occurred, and sexual intercourse with a minor is down 45 percent.

See all the statistics here.