Police Chief, Hailed by Chamber, Tells of Crime Rate Declines Under His Watch

Police Chief Al Lanning, saluted by the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce at a breakfast Wednesday, said the city’s average crime rate in the latest three-year period was 10 percent lower than that of 2002-2004.

Retiring in September, Lanning also told nearly 50 guests and chamber members that the La Mesa Police Department in 2010 had the highest clearance rate for violent crime—arresting suspects and solving crimes—in the San Diego region.

And the latest quarterly police operations report notes a 45-year low in the serious crime rate, he said at the Masonic Lodge on Date Avenue.

“We think that’s a pretty significant achievement,” he said.

He also said the “prisoner realignment” efforts by Gov. Jerry Brown—sending some state prison inmates back to their home jails to save money and relieve crowding—is being plotted out well in San Diego County.

“[We] have a very good plan in place,” Lanning said, including the use of Encinitas sheriff’s deputies to meet probationers before they leave jail instead of relying solely on overwhelmed probation officers.

La Mesa may be assigned some probation officers as well, he said. But he predicted that inmates let go as part of early release programs “will have some impact” on the city’s crime environment.

He said there isn’t 100 percent confidence that inmates let out early will be rehabilitated.

Mainly, Lanning used the chamber event to highlight the achievements of his force and progress in staffing and training.

He said that in 2005, when he succeeded Cliff Resch as police chief, the Police Department had an “operational vacancy rate” of 15 percent. 

Now, he said, only 3 percent of positions are vacant, and “we’re seeing the benefit of that.”

Lanning noted that he hired more than half the officers in the 70-member force, and promoted 15 of them—“building a team” and shifting efforts to a “true crime-fighting” agency.

In 2006, the City Council authorized money to pay for four positions in a Special Enforcement Detail, Lanning said, which improved the department’s ability to tackle “whatever criminal issue we’re facing.”

In answer to audience questions, Lanning noted the affect that budget cuts have had on neighboring police agencies—which affect La Mesa’s policing abilities—but noted that the city Proposition L sales-tax revenues have prevented the loss of officers here.

“We’re fortunate in La Mesa not having to deal with that,” he said.

He called the trolley stations here “just a feature of our community, like parks and shopping centers” as far as their impact on crime.

But he lauded cooperation with Metropolitan Transit System security officials.

“They’ve been great partners. … [Their video surveillance] technology has helped us bring down crime rates.”

Lanning also confirmed that only about 10 percent of the fines and citations levied for traffic offenses here return to La Mesa. The state keeps the rest of those revenues.

But when a chamber member suggested that the city and state split those citation revenues 50-50 and give police a greater incentive to write more tickets, Lanning said: “I don’t want our officers [becoming] a money-making business.”

Lanning said part of those state revenues from traffic citations in La Mesa come back to the city because they pay for a lot of police training—including expenses for travel, meals and lodging for such excursions.

At the end of the hourlong program, Lanning was presented a tile plaque made by Marine reservist Mark Daemon showing Wednesday’s date with an image of the flag-topped police station.

The inscription read:  “In sincere appreciation of 35 years of selfless service and steadfast devotion to duty…. We salute you and all of our police officers who protect and serve our community and make La Mesa ‘the Jewel of the Hills.’ ”