LA MESA, Calif. (KGTV) -- A new report from La Mesa Police show that crime in the city has decreased dramatically over the last year.
According to East County Magazine, most individual crime categories are at a minimum of five-year lows with overall trends around the levels seen by the city in the 1960’s, marking 50-year lows.
Crime from the fourth quarter of 2016 to the fourth quarter of 2017 decreased by more than 27 percent.
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Violent crimes have also seen a significant decrease since 2016. According to a report, La Mesa saw a more than 18 percent decrease in 2017 compared to the same time in 2016.
Other crimes that dropped off were robberies, with a decrease of more than 10 percent, and property crimes, with a decrease of more than 28 percent.
La Mesa Police Captain Matt Nichols said having the budget to be fully staffed has enabled more officers to be in the field.
More outreach within the community has also led to more tips and an emphasis on attacking issues before they grow are also helping keep crime low.
Another factor in the city’s success is a focus on the 911 dispatch which is run by the department. In the last six months of 2017, 100 percent of all calls were answered within 15 seconds.
