KCBA - Monterey, Salinas, Santa Cruz - News Weather-Watsonville Police Show major Drop in Crime
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The police department released 2008 totals in most major crime areas.
Overall the crime rate fell 17%; while violent crime was down 12%, that includes homicide, forcible rape, robbery, and assault.
Property crime saw the biggest drop at 18%, those types of crimes are considered burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson. But one area did rise. The number of murders jumped from one to three, two of them were gang related.
Arrests also increased by more than 10%. The Watsonville Police Department said they were even a little surprised by the dramatic drop.
Police say by changing patrols to 12-hour shifts, they increase the overlap of officers on the streets. They also put more of a focus on gang intel, going after repeat offenders, and trying to keep them off the streets longer once they were arrested.
One area police say was of great success, was the cooperation of witnesses and community members stepping forward with information.
