BURBANK, GLENDALE CRIME RATES FALLING.Byline: Donna Huffaker Staff Writer Following a San Fernando San Fernando, city, Argentina San Fernando (săn fərnăn`dō), city (1991 pop. 144,761), Buenos Aires prov., E Argentina. It is a district administrative center in the Greater Buenos Aires area. Valley-wide trend, crime in general in Glendale and Burbank dropped in the first six months of 1999, although Glendale saw a slight increase in violent crime, officials said Thursday. Overall crime in Glendale continued to decline for the fourth straight year during the period, with property crimes declining by 4.7 percent, said Jack Altounian, Glendale Police Department crime analyst. But the statistics show that, compared with the first half of 1998, murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault A person is guilty of aggravated assault if he or she attempts to cause serious bodily injury to another or causes such injury purposely, knowingly, or recklessly under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life; or attempts to cause or purposely or increased 2.6 percent. That reflects an increase of seven more violent crimes. Glendale Police Chief Russell Siverling described the percentage change as ``almost static.'' ``You're dealing with such low numbers. Watching the crime index is like watching the stock market. After a while, you expect to see a few blips on the screen,'' he said. Altounian's analysis shows that except for 1995, the FBI crime index for Glendale has continuously dropped since 1991. The index is a sum of the eight major crimes that have the highest probability of being reported. The FBI uses the index as a way to measure crime. In the category of property crimes, larceny larceny, in law, the unlawful taking and carrying away of the property of another, with intent to deprive the owner of its use or to appropriate it to the use of the perpetrator or of someone else. and theft increased 3 percent in Glendale. Arson arson, at common law, the malicious and willful burning of the house of another. Originally, it was an offense against the security of habitation rather than against property rights. , stolen vehicles and burglary dropped 30.8 percent, 19.5 percent and 16.1 percent, respectively, Altounian said. The largest of the increases in violent crime was forcible forc·i·ble adj. 1. Effected against resistance through the use of force: The police used forcible restraint in order to subdue the assailant. 2. Characterized by force; powerful. rape, which went from seven last year to 10 this year. Siverling said he did not know why. As for the overall decrease, Siverling said he was pleased, ``but there's always more work to do.'' For Burbank, arson was the only crime that increased over last year, said Lt. Larry Koch. From January to June, there were five arsons in the city as compared with one during the first half of last year, Koch said. He could not elaborate on the incidents but said he believed they are mostly minor. ``An overall drop of 13 percent is pretty dramatic. I think this is due in part to reduced gang violence, which is down because of restraining orders restraining order: see injunction. and community involvement,'' he said. Burbank residents are quick to report crimes in progress and testify To provide evidence as a witness, subject to an oath or affirmation, in order to establish a particular fact or set of facts. Court rules require witnesses to testify about the facts they know that are relevant to the determination of the outcome of the case. in court to what they saw, he said. Another factor is the ``three strikes, you're out'' law, in which repeat offenders receive sentences of 25 years to life after three felony felony (fĕl`ənē), any grave crime, in contrast to a misdemeanor, that is so declared in statute or was so considered in common law. convictions, he said. The belief is that it has put repeat offenders behind bars and acts as a deterrent to others. By category, burglary decreased 24 percent; robbery decreased 21 percent and rape decreased 20 percent. Theft, auto theft, assaults and aggravated assaults decreased 12 percent, 11 percent, 7 percent and 5 percent, respectively. AREA CRIME STATISTIC statistic, n a value or number that describes a series of quantitative observations or measures; a value calculated from a sample. statistic a numerical value calculated from a number of observations in order to summarize them. Overall crime was down in Glendale and Burbank during the first six months of this year, reflecting an areawide trend. Homicide homicide (hŏm`əsīd), in law, the taking of human life. Homicides that are neither justifiable nor excusable are considered crimes. A criminal homicide committed with malice is known as murder, otherwise it is called manslaughter. rape robbery assault burglary theft Glendale 1/99-6/99 2 10 99 169 348 1,668 1/98-6/98 1 7 97 168 415 1,620 stolen vehicle arson total 376 18 2,690 467 26 2,801 Homicide rape robbery assault burglary theft Burbank 1/99-6/99 0 4 42 87 171 820 1/98-6/98 3 5 53 92 225 930 stolen vehicle arson total 295 5 1,424 332 1 1,641 CAPTION(S): Box Box: AREA CRIME STATISTICS (See text) |
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