Attorney General Lockyer Releases State Crime Stats for 2000

Number of crimes in large jurisdictions during the year increased 3.5 percent compared to 1999

Tuesday, March 20, 2001
Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

(Fresno) – During a meeting with Central Valley law enforcement officials, Attorney General Bill Lockyer today announced that preliminary figures show that during 2000, the number of crimes in the most populous cities and counties in California increased 3.5 percent when compared to 1999.

The preliminary report, "Crime 2000 In Selected California Jurisdictions, January through December" compares crime counts for six major offense categories during 1999 and 2000 for 77 jurisdictions with populations of 100,000 or more. These jurisdictions represent about 65 percent of the state's population. Within these jurisdictions, crimes tracked by the California Crime Index increased 3.5 percent:

*Homicides increased 3.9 percent;
*Forcible Rapes increased 6.6 percent;
*Robberies increased 0.9 percent;
*Aggravated Assaults increased 1.8 percent;
*Burglaries increased 0.9 percent; and
*Motor Vehicle Thefts increased 8.9 percent.

"For the first time in eight years, we are reporting an increase in crime in California," said Lockyer. "That's why we can no longer rely on the public safety strategies of the past. We must continue to invest in new, improved investigative techniques and crime prevention strategies so that the generation that needs more schools today doesn't need more prisons tomorrow."

Lockyer has made the use of DNA evidence to solve crimes a top priority of his administration and is sponsoring legislation this year to expand the list of crimes that qualify for inclusion in the state's DNA database. Lockyer has also stressed the need for early intervention efforts, such as the "Safe from the Start" program administered by his Crime and Violence Prevention Center, that is designed to help local agencies identify and help children at risk of becoming victims and/or perpetrators of crime.

The preliminary report, which includes crime statistics for each individual law enforcement agency and contract city with a population of more than 100,000, is available on the Attorney General's web site at http://caag.state.ca.us/cjsc/prelJD00/rpt.pdf.

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