Community Commentary:

Last week, the Daily Pilot reported on the 2008 crime statistics for California cities (“Violent crime in city rises,” May 6).

As the chief of police, I feel compelled to provide clarity to the city’s true crime picture.

Two points explain the rise in violent crime. First, robberies decreased dramatically, from 123 incidents to 77, between 2006 and 2007. In 2008 the number increased, from 77 to 120, which was consistent with reported robberies for the past several years, accounting for a large part of the increase in violent crime.

Second, we discovered the department was under- reporting certain offenses. For example, if an officer responded to an assault call and no one party was obviously the aggressor and neither party desired prosecution, the report would not be included as a reportable offense.

This does wonders for crime statistics but violates accepted reporting standards. We conducted in-service training throughout the department, and these incidents are now properly documented. This is the primary reason for the increase in reported assaults.

Another point to consider is the crime rate, which is calculated by taking the number of reported offenses and factoring in population. Using the numbers in the report, here are the crime rates for other county cities compared with Costa Mesa’s:

 Costa Mesa: 3.0 violent crimes per 1,000 residents

 Fullerton: 3.0 violent crimes per 1,000 residents

 Garden Grove: 3.4 violent crimes per 1,000 residents

 Anaheim: 3.8 violent crimes per 1,000 residents

 Santa Ana: 4.9 violent crimes per 1,000 residents

Even though those cities reported a reduction in their number of violent crimes, their violent crime rates are equal to, or greater than, ours.

There are positive areas to focus on. The numbers are down for stolen vehicles (401 to 304), and we expect to see another reduction this year. Sexual assaults are also down.

Our average case clearance rate for violent crime over the past four years is 78%, which is exceptional. The department consistently leads in DUI-related arrests, and traffic-related deaths are down significantly the last two years.

Lastly, the department has realized an increase of nearly 30% in gang-related arrests between 2006 and 2008.

The men and women of the Police Department are dedicated professionals who strive to make Costa Mesa the great city that it is, and will continue to do so even in these difficult economic times.

CHRISTOPHER SHAWKEY is the Costa Mesa police chief.