FBI releases national crime statistics The FBI...

FBI releases national crime statistics

The FBI on Monday released crime statistics showing a drop

nationwide in violent and property crimes.

The Preliminary Annual Uniform Crime Report compared 2004

statistics from 12,715 police agencies serving populations of 100,000

or more. Nationwide, violent crimes decreased 1.7% in 2004 and property crimes fell 1.8%, according to the report.

As reported last month in California Department of Justice

statistics, the number of violent crimes in Costa Mesa dropped from

304 in 2003 to 284 last year -- a 6.6% decrease. Property crimes in

Costa Mesa increased 3.7% from 2003 to 2004.

Newport Beach was not included in either report.

Police to step up

patrols Friday night

Costa Mesa police will have extra officers on duty looking for

drunken drivers Friday night into early Saturday.

Starting at 8 p.m., nine two-officer patrol cars will rove the

city looking for impaired drivers. The patrols will run through the

early-morning hours on Saturday.

The saturation patrols are being funded by a grant from the state

Office of Traffic Safety. The grants are part of a program called

Remove Aggressive and Impaired Drivers.