Vast Majority of La Mesa Arrests Are for Domestic Violence, Drug/Alcohol Crimes

Updated at 1:44 p.m. Tuesday

Hundreds of La Mesans have been arrested in recent months in a series of crimes that have gotten little or no press attention. Your neighbors are the suspects.

The offenses? Domestic violence and various crimes related to drinking and possession of controlled substances.

In fact, a three-month survey of La Mesa Police Department records shows that 70 percent of all arrests are connected to alcohol, drugs or domestic violence.

So the recent spate of armed robberies—six in the past two weeks—is relatively minuscule by comparison. The drunken drivers on Fletcher Parkway or the spouse-beaters down the street affect more residents than trolley-borne gangsters, figures suggest.

According to a La Mesa Patch review, 384 arrests in May, June and July 2011 were for one of these three crime categories (see attached graphic).

Heather Sara, a civilian crime analyst with the La Mesa Police Department, provided records that appear similar to those reviewed by Patch. Police Lt. Dan Willis responded to questions about them.

Although he* has no statistics to show how many domestic violence incidents are related to alcohol or drug abuse, Willis said in a recent email interview: “In my opinion, many (possibly even a majority) of the DV incidents involve some form of drinking/drugs.”

Willis was asked what percentage of domestic violence “calls for response” lead to arrests.

He said that for the one-year period Aug. 1, 2010, to July 31, 2011, “87 percent of DV calls for service lead to an arrest. Please note that any DV calls for service that did not lead to an arrest were determined to be verbal arguing only or something of that nature.”

Willis said 32 percent of people arrested for domestic violence were women.

He also said domestic violence calls are among the most dangerous facing La Mesa police—as typified by the case of Andrew Yacko, whose Aug. 19 argument with his estranged wife led to his shooting death by police.

“They can be very volatile and dangerous—not just for us, but for any police agency,” Willis said.

Agreeing was P.J. Ortmeier, head of the criminal justice program at Grossmont College and a teacher there since 1997.

Ortmeier, a former sheriff’s deputy in Omaha before his 35-year education career, said police rate domestic violence calls as the most dangerous they face, followed by “burglary in progress” calls and traffic stops.

He said that when he was a deputy, “If you didn’t see the guy smack the wife, there was nothing you could do,” but rules have eased—leading to more arrests of spouses or domestic partners.

“If the spouse doesn’t want to testify,” he said, “a police officer can [still] make an arrest, on probable cause.”

As one who helps train police for La Mesa, El Cajon and other local agencies, Ortmeier said: “La Mesa has a very good, very responsive police department. They do a very good job at responses.”

He said recent studies comparing counseling and putting a spouse-beater in jail for at least eight hours found that jailing can lead to fewer repeat offenses.

For drug offenders, it’s the other way around, he said—with counseling being found more effective. “Treatment dollars are seven times more effective than incarceration.”

Willis said officers get special training at the local police academy “as far as how to investigate and process [domestic violence] calls for service.  There is also periodic training provided in dealing with DV calls.”

Grossmont classes include training in how to de-escalate conflict, using talk rather than force to “calm the situation,” Ortmeier said in a recent phone interview.

“Some people only understand use of force,” he said, but “the vast majority of people submit to respect.”

Willis said Patch’s figures appear typical to those of previous years.

“Though there are always fluctuations in certain crimes and rates, the patterns are generally similar,” he said. “In my opinion (not having other agencies’ statistics), I believe La Mesa crime data reflect similar patterns throughout the county.”

For Patch study purposes, alcohol-related crimes include being drunk in public and driving with a blood-alcohol level above 0.08 percent. Domestic violence cases involve partner, spousal, child and elder abuse. Drug crimes are mainly possession or being under the influence of a controlled substance, with some cases of drug-dealing.

Ortmeier said 33 percent of state inmates are there for crimes related to substance abuse, and many convicts were stealing to support their drug habit.

Does a worsened economy lead to more domestic violence and other crime?

Ortmeier says evidence exists that certain holidays and events show a spike in spousal abuse incidents, such as the Super Bowl Sunday violence rise.

“When you get into the holiday season … there’s definitely a chemical abuse situation with most cases,” he said. “That’s not something police can prevent.”

Willis said: “While not significant, drug and alcohol offenses are slightly higher in the summer while [domestic violence] has been fairly evenly distributed throughout the year for the past four years.”
 
But Ortmeier rejects the notion that a poor economy, and associated joblessness, leads to more crime.

“The crime rate dropped dramatically during the Great Depression,” Ortmeier said. “Overall, it’s been declining since 1981 in major crime categories.”

Any correlation between the crime rate and unemployment “is more of an excuse than anything else: ‘I stole food’ [because of being out of work],” he said.

What efforts have La Mesa police made to reduce crime related to alcohol, drugs and domestic violence?

Willis cited several.

LMPD gets a grant from state Alcoholic Beverage Control for just over $11,000 to conduct undercover operations targeting underage drinking/driving, he said, and every year the Traffic Unit receives grants from the state Office of Traffic Safety (“last year over $100,000—this year slightly less”) to buy equipment, conduct several DUI details, warrant sweeps, court stings targeting those involved with DUI. 

“There has been training for officers and detectives regarding investigating Alcoholic Beverage Control violations,” he said. “There is ongoing training regarding the identification and investigation into DUIs, persons under the influence of drugs, and drug possession.”

Willis said a Special Enforcement Detail routinely works at targeting people involved with selling drugs, as well as problem alcohol establishments. A detective is assigned to follow up on crimes of domestic violence. 

“Officers provide DV victims information at the time of reporting regarding assistance available—counseling, shelters, etc. The detective also attends a monthly meeting with other DV detectives involving DV trends and training.”

The LMPD has been represented on the Steering Committee of the East County Family Justice Center, “which serves to provide a one-shop center for Domestic Violence victims for assistance—reporting, prevention resources,” he said. 

When a particular trend, crime sites or problem establishments become known—resources are directed toward it, he said. 

La Mesa police take part in several countywide enforcement details regarding DUI, warrant sweeps, and task forces, such as one involving narcotics.

What does the La Mesa Police Department do with its crime category data?

“Crime data is used to assist in directing resources to those crime patterns and trends that generate the most calls for service, or that create public concern, or has the potential for either … of considered the most serious,” Willis said.

Data also point police to areas where additional training may be needed, “or possibly additional outside resources to combat a particular issue,” he said.

As department coordinator, Ortmeier said nearly 1,000 students at Grossmont College are majoring in administration of justice.

Ortmeier said he likes the La Mesa police and fire departments for their responsiveness.

“That’s why I live in La Mesa,” he said.

*Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly attributed some quotations to Heather Sara. In fact, the quotes were from Dan Willis.