La Jolla crime and public safety news: San Diego crime dips 1.3%, COVID-19 numbers, police blotter

San Diego’s crime rate down 1.3% in 2019

Crime decreased in San Diego by 1.3 percent in 2019, which city leaders credited to a 2017 contract agreement that they said made police officers’ pay more competitive and to aggressive recruitment efforts to bolster the Police Department.

Police Chief David Nisleit said May 15 that homicides increased from 35 in 2018 to 50 in 2019, but all other violent crimes — including sexual assaults, robberies and aggravated assaults — declined. Violent crime was down nearly 3 percent, while property crimes such as burglaries, thefts and vehicle thefts also were down, Nisleit said.

San Diego had the lowest violent crime rate per 1,000 residents among the nation’s 10 largest cities, Mayor Kevin Faulconer said.

The San Diego Association of Governments recently released a countywide crime report saying that larceny crimes such as car break-ins have dropped about 25 percent in San Diego County in the past two months amid stay-at-home orders brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. — City News Service

COVID-19 numbers by ZIP code

The San Diego County Health & Human Services Agency posts an updated list at 8 a.m. daily of COVID-19 cases by ZIP code, including rates per 100,000 residents. As of May 18, ZIP code 92037 had 39 registered COVID-19 coronavirus cases and 91.6 per 100,000. ZIP code is the code of residence, which may not be the location of exposure. bit.ly/covidbyzip

Police blotter

May 1

• Vehicle break-in/theft: 5300 block Chelsea Street, 1:05 p.m.

May 3

• Vehicle break-in/theft: 600 block Pacific View Drive, 2:30 p.m.

May 4

• Vehicle break-in/theft: 3200 Via Marin, 6 a.m.

May 7

• Vehicle break-in/theft: 8300 block Via Sonoma, 4:55 p.m.

• Misdemeanor theft: 5400 block La Jolla Boulevard, 8:30 p.m.

May 8

• Possession of narcotics or controlled substances: 9600 block Black Gold Road, 4:55 a.m.

May 9

• Felony vandalism ($400 or more): 3100 block Via Alicante, 11 p.m.

May 10

• Felony vehicle theft: 500 block Marine Street, 6:30 p.m.

May 11

• Vehicle break-in/theft: 8500 block La Jolla Shores Drive, 3 p.m.

• Drunk in public: 600 block Loring Street, 9:34 p.m.

• Felony vehicle theft: 5400 block Soledad Mountain Road, 10:30 p.m.

May 12

• Vehicle break-in/theft: 8700 block La Jolla Shores Drive, 9:03 a.m.

May 14

• Commercial burglary: 7918 Ivanhoe Ave., about 5 a.m. Someone broke into Sicilia Bella by shattering the glass front door. Cash was taken from the register and a chef coat. No one was in custody.

May 15

• Felony vehicle theft: 7400 block La Jolla Boulevard, 5 p.m.

• Vehicle break-in/theft: 900 block La Jolla Rancho Road, 11:40 p.m.

May 16

• Vehicle break-in/theft: 1600 block Via Corona, 3:05 a.m.

• Vehicle break-in/theft: 400 block La Canada, 3:30 a.m.

• Fraud: 900 block Wilbur Avenue, noon

• Residential burglary: 7900 block La Jolla Shores Drive, 9 p.m.

May 17

• Vehicle break-in/theft: 8700 block La Jolla Shores Drive, 6 a.m.

• Vehicle break-in/theft: 8500 block El Paseo Grande, 6:20 a.m.

• Battery on a peace officer/emergency personnel: 6400 block Camino de la Costa, 5 p.m. A city of San Diego lifeguard who was providing medical treatment to a patient was assaulted. The assault caused a 1-inch abrasion and swelling to the lifeguard’s upper lip. A juvenile suspect was taken into custody at the scene and was released to his guardian and sister.

• Drunk in public: 5500 block La Jolla Boulevard, 5:50 p.m.

— Compiled by Light staff writer Ashley Mackin-Solomon from police and county reports.