Further, the current crime rate of 260 represents a dramatic reduction of more than 42% in just four years, from a crime rate of 449.4 in 2007. Vigilant and innovative enforcement efforts by the Los Angeles County Sheriff‟s Department (LASD); a large and sustained resource commitment by the Lancaster City Council; focused efforts by the Lancaster Criminal Justice Commission; an unwavering commitment to public safety by city staff; and a community-wide aggressive stance towards gangs, crime, and fraud have made Lancaster a safer city, recording its lowest crime rate in at least 20 years.
“While we are led by our brave Deputy Sheriffs, the dramatic improvement Lancaster has experienced in public safety is truly a community-wide effort. In 2007, our City was overrun by gangs and crime, and many of our hard-working families were leaving Lancaster. Collectively we said, „This is enough-no more!‟, and immediately went to work building a better, safer Lancaster for our children and grandchildren,” said Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris. “The main reason we have seen a sustained reduction in crime since 2007 is the commitment of all segments of the City, most notably the Neighborhood Watch and Business Watch groups that work daily to keep our City safe.”
To put the magnitude of the City‟s crime reduction into perspective, there were 2,361 fewer serious crimes in Lancaster in 2011 than in 2007 (4,102 vs. 6,463), despite an increase in population of nearly 14,000 (157,795 vs. 143,818). This equates to 6.47 fewer serious crimes every day and 45.4 fewer serious crimes each week in 2011. Below is a summary of the number of crimes from 2007 and 2011 in each of the Part I crime categories which comprise the City’s crime rate:
Change 2007-2011
Total Part I Crimes 2007 2011 Number %
Homicide 13 3 -10 - 77%
Rape 59 42 -17 - 29%
Robbery 435 273 -162 -37%
Assault 811 533 -278 -34%
Burglary 1,612 986 -626 -39%
Larceny / Theft 2,599 1,843 -756 -29%
Grand Theft Auto 845 387 -458 -54%
Arson 89 35 -54 - 61%
TOTAL 6,463 4,102 -2,361 -37%
Since 2007, Lancaster has experienced double-digit reductions in every one of the eight Part I crime categories reported by the Sheriff‟s Department. Of particular importance is the drop in burglaries and auto thefts from 2007 to 2011, with burglaries in Lancaster reduced by 39% and auto thefts reduced by 54%.
“These property crimes have a particularly destabilizing impact on citizens and neighborhoods,” said Parris. “Our Station deputies and specialized crime suppression teams have been instrumental in reducing these crimes. However, crimes in neighborhoods can only be addressed effectively through a partnership with those neighborhoods. Neighborhood crime reduction has only been possible through the work and sacrifice of our dedicated and active Neighborhood Watch Groups.”
According to final statistics from the Los Angeles County Sheriff‟s Department (LASD), Part I crimes per 10,000 residents in 2011 fell to 260.0, from 298.7 in 2010.
This represents a 13.0% decline in the City‟s crime rate for 2011. Crime rate takes into account changes in population and is consistent with the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) criteria. Below is a summary of the percentage change from 2010 to 2011 in each of the Part I crime categories which comprise the City‟s crime rate:
Change Crime Rate Crime Rate Total Crimes
Part I Crime from 2010 2010 2011 2010 2011
Homicide -65.3% 0.5 0.2 8 3
Rape -34.2% 4.1 2.7 59 42
Robbery - 1.0% 17.5 17.3 255 273
Assault -14.9% 39.7 33.8 579 533
Burglary -11.8% 70.8 62.5 1,033 986
Larceny / Theft -12.2% 133.0 116.8 1,940 1,843
Grand Theft Auto -18.5% 30.1 24.5 439 387
Arson -26.5% 3.0 2.2 44 35
Of note for 2011 is the fact that Lancaster experienced only three homicide homicides for the entire year, compared to eight in 2010. Even more notable is the fact that none of the three homicides was gang or firearm related.
“Our deputies have done a great job in reducing crime, with 12,955 arrests and no gang-related homicides in 2011,” said Lancaster Sheriff‟s Captain Robert Jonsen. “However, we would not be nearly as effective without the ‘unsung heroes’ we work with every day; our civilian employees, station volunteers, and great Sheriff‟s Booster Club. Their commitment to Lancaster is nothing short of incredible.”
“Our entire city staff focuses their energies daily on public safety,” said Lancaster City Manager Mark V. Bozigian. “These efforts are not just confined to crime reduction, however. Of equal importance is keeping our streets safe to drive for residents and visitors. We have made great strides since 2007 and continue to pursue new initiatives to improve traffic safety.”
Below is a comparison of some key traffic statistics from 2007 and 2011 for Lancaster:
Change 2007-2011
Traffic Incidents 2007 2011 Number %
Total Collisions 2,621 1,944 - 677 - 26%
Injury Collisions 820 695 - 125 - 15%
DUI Collisions 92 89 - 3 - 1%
Fatal Collisions 16 7 - 9 - 56%
“Let‟s be proud of what we have accomplished together, but let‟s not get complacent,” declared Mayor Parris. “We face new challenges daily and must be willing to evolve our methods, be innovative, and take prudent risks to keep Lancaster safe. This is why the Sheriff‟s Department and the City will be launching the Law Enforcement Aerial Platform System (LEAPS) this spring. While protecting citizen privacy rights, this system will provide the Lancaster Sheriff‟s Station with a level of aerial surveillance capabilities not available to any other city in California. This is just one way in which we continue to work to keep Lancaster safe.”
