Crime & Safety
Coronado Sees Jump in Crime in First Half of 2012
The trend follows most of the county, which has seen sharp drops in crime numbers since 2008, but increases since last year.
The crime rate in Coronado rose in the first half of 2012 compared to the first six months of last year, following a countywide trend, the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) has announced.
Coronado's 2012 mid-year crime rate fell below the average for the county, with 21.39 crimes reported out of every 1,000 residents, a 10 percent rise from the 2011 mid-year rate, but down 25 percent compared to 2008.
The violent crime rate in Coronado is 1.04 per 1,000 people, far below the county average of 3.7. Only the unincorporated area of 4S Ranch and Solana Beach boasted better numbers.
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Coronado's violent crime rate is up, however, from 2011, when it was only 0.69.
The 12 violent crimes reported in the community is the highest since 2008. They include the in the early morning hours of Jan 1, by a roommate, another Navy pilot, who then turned the gun on himself.
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The other incidents were nine aggravated assaults, according to the report.
As for Coronado's property crime rate, it's up 9 percent from last year's mid-year rate, to 20.36. Burglaries more than doubled, from 30 to 62.
Regionally, the average mid-year crime rate, 25.07, rose 8 percent. Violent crimes also were up 8 percent, while the property rate climbed 7 percent in the year-over-year comparison, according to SANDAG.
Though higher than last year's mid-year crime rates, this year's tallies are lower countywide than during the years from 2003 to 2010.
It's too early to tell if this year's uptick is temporary or if it's the beginning of a trend, according to Cynthia Burke, director of criminal justice research for SANDAG.
“We have enjoyed historic lows in crime rates over the past decade, so it's not entirely surprising that the numbers are now going up,” Burke said in a statement.
According to SANDAG, a total of 5,808 violent crimes were reported to law enforcement in the county between January and June.
Countywise, rapes were up substantially as well, from 298 to 376, a jump the agency attributed in part to new broader definitions put in place by the Department of Justice.
There were no rapes reported in Coronado.
The agency said that of the 33,599 property crimes reported countywide in the first half of this year, 236 in were in Coronado.
- City News Service contributed to this report
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