Public Safety

San Diego's Crime Rate Falls

By Katie Orr / Anchor

Published May 1, 2009 at 7:50 AM PDT

This story was published more than 16 years ago.

The San Diego Police Department is reporting crime is down for the first three months of 2009. KPBS reporter Katie Orr has details.

The police say overall crime has dropped nearly 17 % compared to the same time last year. Violent crimes including murder and robberies are down about 10 % and property crimes have fallen about 18 %. The department has continued to focus on gang activity. Officer Cesar Solis oversees Operation Party Crashers, which tries to stop gang violence at parties.

“When we were able to identify the location and the party crews and where they were, we would be out there to show a visible presence to make sure the parties went on without any violence,” he says.

Advertisement

Become a KPBS sponsor

Gang related crimes were down nearly 8 %, though attempted homicides and stabbings were up. The police also saw a nearly 9 % increase in rapes for the first quarter of this year.

Katie Orr, KPBS News

Public Safety

Katie Orr

twitter

Having grown up in the San Diego neighborhood of University City, Katie Orr is back in familiar territory as KPBS’ Metro Reporter. She previously worked at WVXU in Cincinnati, Ohio where she served as a reporter and announcer, as well as host of the award winning Cincinnati Edition. She has also reported for WNIN in Evansville, Indiana and for Four Corners Broadcasting in Durango, Colorado. Katie has been recognized by the Indiana and Ohio chapters of the Society of Professional Journalists for her work as well as by the Hearst Journalism Awards and the Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence Awards. Katie graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University in 2003.

See stories by Katie Orr

Fact-based local news is essential

KPBS keeps you informed with local stories you need to know about — with no paywall. Our news is free for everyone because people like you help fund it.

Without federal funding, community support is our lifeline.
Make a gift to protect the future of KPBS.

KPBS News: Public Safety Policy

KPBS has created a public safety coverage policy to guide decisions on what stories we prioritize, as well as whose narratives we need to include to tell complete stories that best serve our audiences. This policy was shaped through months of training with the Poynter Institute and feedback from the community. You can read the full policy here.

Read →