Crime & Safety

La Mesa Property Crime Rate Had Sharp Rise in First Quarter 2013

La Mesa Police Chief Ed Aceves on thefts from cars: "Hide it, lock it, or lose it."

There were reports of 100 more incidents of theft in La Mesa in the first three months of 2013 compared to the same time in 2012, said La Mesa Police Chief Ed Aceves at the City Council meeting last week.

The 36 percent rise in property crimes was the highlight of the quarterly crime report presented by the chief to the council. Residents reported 347 thefts in the first quarter 2013, compared to 255 in first quarter 2012. Aceves said a majority of those thefts were from vehicles.

"A lot of our thefts could have been prevented," said Aceves. "Hide it, lock it, or lose it."

The bright side of the report was a drop  in violent crime in La Mesa, 15 fewer compared to first quarter 2012. Reports of robberies were down significantly, about 40 percent lower in 2013. There were also less stolen cars reported in 2013.

See more crime statistics and charts from the presentation in the media gallery.


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