LANCASTER – The crime rate in Lancaster continues to plummet as the City heads into the second half of 2011, with a 21.7% reduction in crime for the first six months of the year. Based on statistics reported by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD), the crime rate for violent crimes, comprised of homicide, rape, robbery, and assault, dropped 19% in the first six months of 2011, while the crime rate for property crimes, comprised of burglary, larceny/theft, grand theft auto, and arson, declined more than 22% for the same period.
“Public safety is always our first priority and, as such, requires the support and engagement of all areas of our community,” stated Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris. “Our hard-working deputies and City staff, along with the leadership provided by the Criminal Justice Commission, have helped us to continue to reduce crime. However, these reductions would not have occurred without the active participation of our neighborhoods and businesses.”
For the first six months of 2011, the City’s 21.7% crime rate reduction resulted in 339 fewer serious crimes when compared to the same period in 2010 (1,873 vs. 2,212), a 15.3% decline in the actual number of crimes. The 21.7% decline in the crime rate takes into account the increase in Lancaster’s population, from a reported 145,875 in 2010 (State Department of Finance 2010) to 157,795 for 2011 (State Department of Finance 2011).
