Study: Violent Crime, Domestic Violence Rates Increase in Imperial Beach

Imperial Beach's rate of serious crime rose 7 percent in 2012, an annual crime study released Wednesday said, but the rate is still 34 percent lower than rates found in California's most southwest city five years prior.

Serious crimes in the so-called FBI Crime Index are homicide, rape, aggravated assault and robbery.

IB's violent crime rate rose 2 percent from 2011 to 2012 for a violent crime rate per 1,000 of 5.52, according to the study by the San Diego Association of Governments. That's 20 percent lower than 2008 but still higher than any other city in San Diego except National City. The county average in 2012 was 3.77.

Though the violent crime rate is higher than much of San Diego County, the rate of crimes solved or arrests for violent crimes is above average.

The violent crime clearance rate for the San Diego County Sheriff's Department IB substation in 2012 was 63 percent, 11 percent above the county average and fourth best in San Diego County.

San Diego County saw a 30 percent increase in homicides from 2011 to 2012, more than any other violent crime. Other FBI Crime index crimes–rape, aggrivated assault and robbery–saw increases below 10 percent.

The homicide rate increased in part due to gang-related crime, the SANDAG study said.

Among other notable crime rate changes for Imperial Beach:

• 35 percent increase in larceny from 2011 to 2012
• 9 percent increase in property crimes from 2011 to 2012
• 26 percent decline in motor vehicle theft from 2011 to 2012
• 147 total violent crimes in Imperial Beach in 2012
• Near $1.3 million in property reported stolen, down from $3.36 million in 2008
• Recovery of stolen property down 21 percent from 2008, lower rate of rocovery than any other area of San Diego County

Levels of many particular crimes for both the county and Imperial Beach continued to fall in comparison to the number of incidents that occurred in 2008.

One area of crime that has continued to increase in Imperial Beach above 2008 levels is domestic violence, which has increased 57 percent since 2008 and 24 percent from 2011 to 2012.

Domestic violence increased 9 percent in San Diego County in 2012, the first increase for the region in 2012 since 2009.

Number of Crimes, Imperial Beach

See the attached PDF for a look at crime reported in IB from 2008 to 2012.