Not all News is Bad News!

La Quinta became a safer place to live from 2005 to 2006, according to the latest FBI statistics

The city of nearly 39,000 residents experienced a 21 percent decrease in violent crimes and a 9.2 percent drop in property crimes between 2005 and 2006.

The data are part of a national report, titled Crime in the United States, compiled from information by law enforcement agencies nationwide. The FBI collected these data via the Uniform Crime Reporting Program and released the results Monday.

The program gathers data for violent and property crimes. Violent crimes include murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault. Property crimes include burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft and arson.

Nationally, violent crimes have risen while property crimes fell. In the Coachella Valley, cities experiencing the most growth saw generally crime rise. But in La Quinta, Cathedral City and Rancho Mirage crime was trending downward in both violent and property offenses from 2005 to 2006.

Capt. Colleen Walker of the Riverside County Sheriff's department, the Chief of Police for La Quinta, declined to comment because she had not seen the FBI report.

Police in La Quinta's east valley neighbor Indio - which experienced double-digit increases in crime - called the report dated.

"We feel it is not specific to Indio," said Ben Guitron, spokesperson for the Indio Police Department. Indio Police Chief Brad Ramos was unavailable for comment.

Guitron said FBI data does not show a current picture of Indio, which is better reflected by statistics gathered by the department on a weekly basis.

According to department data, crime has actually decreased when year-to-date numbers are compared to the period a year ago, Guitron said.

This year's decrease in crime will not be reported by the FBI until next year, he added.

Back in La Quinta, some residents still exercise "common sense" regarding crime even though FBI data paints the city as safe. "I think La Quinta is safe if you don't give anyone the opportunity to commit a crime," said local resident Caroline Doran. "You need to be careful about your whereabouts and look around."

Doran said she locks her car, her windows and doors.

"I am not going to let fear stop me from going out, but I am not going out at 10 at night and walking around either," she said.