Saratoga News Saratoga's crime statistics reflect national downturn By Michelle Alaimo Saratoga is keeping up with a nationwide trend of decreasing crime, according to statistics released by the Santa Clara County Sheriff Department. Total offenses reported during 1998 are down 25 percent compared with the year before for "Type I" crimes, which include homicide, rape, assault, robbery, burglary, theft and grand theft auto. Capt. Robert Wilson said Saratoga is a very safe city in which to live. Community members are alert to their surroundings and are involved in their neighborhoods, he explained. Saratoga saw a decrease in every category except for assaults, which remained steady at 85 cases. "Overall, Saratoga is a very low-statistic city," Deputy Mark Eastus said. Two of the most violent crimes against a person, rape and homicide, had no reported cases. This is the first time in two years that there have been no reported rapes in Saratoga. Last year there were two. Although crimes against a person dropped to zero, or remained constant as in the case of assaults, all crimes against property were down. Grand theft, which involves the taking of an item over $400, was down to 86 cases from 121 in 1997. Petty theft dropped to 145 cases from 192 the previous year, and burglaries were down to 93 cases from 140 the previous year. The city also saw car thefts decrease from 17 to 12, and robberies dropped from seven three cases to three in 1997. Wilson attributed a variety of factors to the city and nationwide decrease in crime. "We're looking at a stable economy and strong employment," Wilson said. He said those factors lead to more stable families, which equates with a stable environment. Another reason for a decrease in crime could be partially attributed to the three-strikes law, according to Dep. Eastus. Because of the law, more career criminals are being kept in jail. Eastus also said that Saratoga typically catches many of the criminals who commit crime here, especially residential burglars who travel from city to city. "It's just a matter of time before those kind of people get caught," Eastus said. [ Back to Contents Page | Saratoga News Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Saratoga News, January 27, 1999. ©1999 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.