Report: Violent crimes drop from 2008-09

Violent crime in Newport Beach dropped nearly 9% in 2009 compared with the year before, police statistics show.

In an annual FBI report on violent crime in U.S. cities with more than 100,000 residents, data show Newport Beach is following the national trend of fewer homicides, rapes and robberies. There were 91 violent crimes in the city last year compared with 99 in 2008.

There was a slight uptick in aggravated assaults, to 54 from 50, in 2008. There were fewer incidents of all four offenses nationwide, the FBI reported.

According to the Newport Beach statistics, the city saw more aggravated assaults in 2009 than in the past five years. In 2004, there were 59 reported felony assaults.

However, the other violent crimes tracked by the FBI remained steady or decreased in the city. There were 33 robberies compared with 44 in 2008. One notable robbery last year was the violent home invasion of a Newport Coast home in December. In that case, five men are accused of bursting into the house and tying up nine occupants before robbing them.

Some of the victims were violently beaten in that instance. Five men face charges in that case.

Newport Beach police reported zero homicides for the third time in four years. The lone exception was 2007, when Weston Kruger pushed a local liquor store owner down to the ground, killing him.

This year, Newport Beach is on pace to surpass last year’s totals for rapes and robberies. Through August there have been three reported rapes and 33 reported robberies, including 10 in April alone.

For more Newport Beach crime statistics, go to the police department’s website at nbpd.org and look under the “crime information” heading.

2009

Homicides: 0

Rape: 4

Robbery: 33

Aggravated assault: 54

2008

Homicides: 0

Rape: 5

Robbery: 44

Aggravated assault: 50

2007

Homicides: 1

Rape: 4

Robbery: 54

Aggravated assault: 32