By Jason Islas
Lookout Staff:

January 6, 2012 -- Crime in Santa Monica was down by almost ten per cent in the first half of 2011, reflecting a nationwide trend for similar-sized cities that saw crime drop during tough economic times, according to the latest Department of Justice statistics.

During the six-month period from January 1, 2011 to June 30, 2011, there were 216 burglaries, 55 robberies, 12 rapes, 518 assaults, 1,191 thefts and no homicides reported in the beachside city of 90,000, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

There were several reasons for the drop, including a good working relationship between police and residents, said Sgt. Richard Lewis, the police department spokesman.

“Officers are being very proactive,” Lewis said, adding that “the cooperation we have with the community” is also a major factor, as are developments in law enforcement technology that help with police work.

According to the FBI's preliminary Unified Crime Report (UCR) – a compilation of data reported to the Federal government by local law enforcement agencies for the months of January to June 2011 – crime rates dropped when compared to the same period in 2010.

In the UCR, Santa Monica's numbers are grouped with more than 400 other agencies in cities with a populations of between 50,000 and 99,000.

That “population group” saw its biggest decline – almost 22 per cent – in murder, followed by arson, which saw a more than 10 per cent drop.

None of the categories for that population group increased, according to the UCR. Burglary, which showed a decrease of less than two per cent, declined the least.

Lewis said that the SMPD is always trying to lower the number of crimes committed in the city. To those ends, in February, the department will meet to assess a game plan for the New Year.

One thing the SMPD is doing this year to make Santa Monica safer is a traffic safety awareness campaign, Lewis said.

According to an SMPD press release, the department’s Traffic Enforcement Section "will focus on different driving behaviors each month that are primary causation for traffic collisions."

In January, motor officers will target drivers talking or texting on cell phones.”

Although the statistics for 2011 will not be released until June, traffic related incidents dropped in 2010, with fewer DUI fatalities, collisions and hit-and-run incidents than there were in 2009.

However, the number of injury collisions rose in 2010, as did the number of collisions that involved pedestrians.

The coming of the Expo Light Rail line scheduled for 2015, as well the implementation of the Bike Action Plan, will mean an increase in pedestrian and bike traffic, police officials noted.

It's important to educate drivers, bike riders and pedestrians how to safely share the road, Lewis said.

For more information about the traffic safety awareness campaign or to otherwise get involved with the SMPD, visit www.santamonicapd.org.