Proud To Live In A City That Has Safety As A Top Priority!

 Lancaster, CA. 10/20/2011 – The crime rate in the City of Lancaster continues to be down in 2011, with a 16% reduction in crime for the first nine 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 12.3% in the first nine months of 2011, while the crime rate for property crimes, comprised of burglary, larceny/theft, grand theft auto, and arson, declined more than 17% for the same period. Projected through 2011 at current rates, Lancaster’s crime rate will have dropped more than 40% over the past four years. The residents and businesses of Lancaster, working actively with the City and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, have made Lancaster a much safer City.

“Hard work by our neighborhoods and businesses, along with an unwavering commitment to public safety by the City Council and Criminal Justice Commission, continues to pay big dividends in keeping our City safe,” stated Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris. “As always, primary credit goes to Sheriff Baca and our brave Deputy Sheriffs, who work 24 hours a day, seven days a week to protect us.”

For the first nine months of 2011, the City’s 16% crime rate reduction resulted in 303 fewer serious crimes when compared to the same period in 2010 (3,011 vs. 3,314), a 9.1% decline in the actual number of crimes. The 16% 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).

Below is a summary of the percentage changes from the first nine months of 2011 compared to the first nine months of 2010 in the Part I crimes that comprise the City’s crime rate:

Change from crime rate (9mo.)

Total Crimes(9mo) 

“While we are encouraged by 2011 crime reductions to date, we are ever vigilant in quickly addressing emerging trends. For instance, when we saw a spike in robberies, we immediately formed and deployed a Robbery Suppression Team. They have been active for just over six weeks now and have already made several arrests and solved many cases,” stated Lancaster Sheriff’s Captain Robert Jonsen. “We will continue this proactive approach to fighting crime.”

“Our City staff takes great pride in working towards keeping Lancaster safe,” added Lancaster City Manager Mark V. Bozigian. “I would like to particularly commend our Public Safety Office and our Community Service Officers for their outstanding contributions towards public safety.”

“While we can take a moment to celebrate crime reduction, we must also realize that we face new challenges daily,” said Mayor Parris. “We will continue to be successful because we have the right team in place and a community focused on keeping our neighborhoods safe.”