Crime & Safety
Overall, Crime Drops in First Half of 2011
The number of assaults reported in San Juan Capistrano between January and June is up, but overall crime is down 55 percent.
Assaults are stacking up, the number of burglaries are dropping.
In the first half of 2011, the number of violent attacks reported in San Juan Capistrano jumped 66 percent—but only by a total of four incidents from the six reported through June in 2010. Meanwhile, the number of break-ins plummeted by 46 percent compared to the same time period last year.
Overall, crime in San Juan Capistrano is trending downward by 55 percent with thefts still reining as the No. 1 reported crime in the small town of 35,000 residents.
Find out what's happening in San Juan Capistranowith free, real-time updates from Patch.
"We did have some increases in some areas, but overall crime is down," said sheriff's Lt. John Meyer, who made note of the in June that left dead two would-be robbers.
There were 172 larcenies reported so far this year, ranging from iPods grabbed from inside parked cars to . Generally categorized as crimes of opportunity, Meyer said the best way to keep these types of thefts down is to educate the public.
Find out what's happening in San Juan Capistranowith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Nestling into his first year as the top cop in San Juan, said it's difficult to substantiate the small fluctuations in crime statistics. "We can do extra patrols and work really hard and crime could go up—then we'd be scratching our heads," he said.
The extra patrols, however, seem to be working.
Last month deputies started doing more cycling, instead of driving.
Bicycles are easier to maneuver, which means deputies can access small alleys and other byways not reachable via car, Meyer said. Plus, deputies can ride up to people who didn't realize a cop was nearby.
Meyer said he was hesitant to give out details about the bike patrols, but he did say this:
"It's safe to say we are out different days of the week on a consistent basis doing extra patrols," he said. He emphasised, however, that the beefed-up patrols are not directly in response to crime statistics.
"I think it's just a good way of getting the deputies out and hopefully catching a burglar or maybe a thief," he said. "I feel has a lot of value from the standpoint of community-oriented policing ... residents are getting familiar with the officers."
Year
Month
Homicide
Rape
Robbery
Assault
Burglary
Larceny
Auto-Theft
Monthly Total
JAN
0
1
2
2
6
29
0
40
FEB
0
0
2
2
4
28
3
39
MAR
0
1
2
1
6
21
2
33
APR
0
0
1
1
3
31
1
37
MAY
0
0
2
1
7
29
3
42
JUN
0
0
0
3
6
34
3
46
2011
TOTAL
0
2
9
10
32
172
12
237
JAN
0
1
0
0
8
32
4
45
FEB
0
0
2
2
8
21
3
36
MAR
0
1
2
1
9
48
0
61
APR
0
0
0
1
15
35
4
55
MAY
0
0
3
1
7
28
4
43
JUN
0
0
0
1
13
33
5
52
2010
TOTAL
0
2
7
6
60
197
20
292
YTD CHANGE
0
0
2
4
-28
-25
-8
-55
YTD % CHANGE
N/C
0%
28%
66%
-46%
-12%
-40%
-18%
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