Third Quarter Crime Report Not the Prettiest Picture

Police Chief John Hunt was hard pressed to find a silver lining in an otherwise gloomy third quarter crime report delivered to City Council Monday. After hitting an almost historic low last year, crime in 2011 has so far been, "above normal levels," Hunt explained.

The chief highlighted the fact that Piedmont did post a decrease in crime compared to 2010 for the first time in September—the final month included in the nine-month report. But crime was up again in , as larcenies increased from 4 to 10 over the previous month and three were recorded. On the bright side, Hunt credited an eyewitness with providing a partial license plate number that lead to a van thought to be involved in the last robbery. Analysis of fingerprints found in the van has yet to come back from the county lab, but the chief expressed optimism Monday that it would lead to a suspect.

In further efforts to stem the tide of crime, extra nighttime patrols were added earlier this year to discourage thefts and in September daytime shifts were added to deter burglaries, Hunt reported.

"We also have decoy cars out there to help out and we do our best to make a dent in crime, but we can't be everywhere at once," he said.

A crime map shows that burglaries, vehicle thefts, larcenies and vandalism incidents have been spread throughout the city, with concentrations around the major thoroughfares in lower Piedmont: Magnolia, Grand, Magnolia, and Wildwood avenues.

But Hunt maintained that crime in Piedmont is random.

"Burglars come in not even knowing they're in Piedmont and looking for easy targets," he said.

The chief pointed to the poor economy, high unemployment, and the early release of criminals from California prisons as possible drivers of the increase in crime in the city.

"I look forward to an even better report next time," commented Mayor Dean Barbieri, "with the numbers going down."