Crime Rise Was Only Temporary in Fullerton

* I am writing to clarify some points regarding the release of the FBI’s uniform crime report for the first two quarters of 1998 for cities with populations of more than 100,000 (Dec. 14).

Unfortunately, when you contacted me, I had not had an opportunity to review the report and was unable to respond to specific questions about an increase in violent crime in the city of Fullerton.

Violent crime as reported by the FBI is murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault. The increases reported by the FBI for the first six months of 1998 were five rapes, six robberies and 20 aggravated assaults. Murder decreased from two cases to one.

Those increases occurred primarily in the second quarter, April through June, of 1998, which we considered to be an anomaly since prior to that quarter our crime rate had decreased steadily.

I would like to point out that statistics from the third quarter of 1998, July through September, which have not yet been released by the FBI, show that Part 1 crimes--murder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, grand theft, vehicle theft and arson--actually decreased in Fullerton by 15% over the same period for 1997.

Even more important, our rate of crimes cleared for the third quarter increased nearly 45% over the same period in 1997. In addition, gang crimes were reduced 16%.

Dealing with a specific set of statistics is always difficult as they do not reflect the totality of a situation, and thus are open to misinterpretation. Crime ebbs and flows. That’s why it is important to look at the total picture.

Certainly, the occurrence of any crime in Fullerton is a matter of grave concern to our police department. I can assure our residents that every effort is made to bring the perpetrators of crimes to justice.

PATRICK E. McKINLEY

Chief of police

Fullerton