Figures Show Skyward Spikes in County Crime, Including In Murrieta

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA - Criminal activity surged last year in a number of cities and unincorporated communities in Riverside County, according to statistics released today by the District Attorney's Office.

The agency compiled data from all municipalities with independent law enforcement agencies, as well as cities and communities served by sheriff's personnel, which indicated no slowdown in lawbreaking from 2014.

"One reason we are issuing this report is because of the importance that all of us in law enforcement be as transparent as we can be with the public,'' District Attorney Mike Hestrin said.

The compilation comes a little over a week after the sheriff's department released figures for the 17 cities that contract for law enforcement services, along with the unincorporated communities. According to sheriff's preliminary data, overall crime in those locations climbed 7.4 percent in 2015.

The FBI will issue an official countywide figure in the fall.

The D.A.'s office took a micro-level look at criminal activity, based on all federally classified Part I offenses, including murder, forcible rape, aggravated assault, robbery, burglary, auto theft and larceny.

In that broad category, Murrieta -- often touted by its representatives as one of the county's safest cities -- showed the highest spike in crime last year, with a 26 percent increase.

Indian Wells was not far behind, recording a 23 percent jump, followed by Menifee at 20 percent.

Unincorporated Riverside County experienced a 15 percent increase -- the same for Rancho Mirage and Temecula, according to figures.

The violent crime component of the Part I equation, which includes homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault, presented a different picture.

Banning ranked highest in terms of the increase in violent offenses recorded in 2015, with a 56 percent jump, followed by neighboring Beaumont at 54 percent.

Rancho Mirage experienced a 41 percent spike, while San Jacinto saw a 32 percent increase. Hemet was close behind at 30 percent, trailed by Murrieta at 29 percent and Indio at 26 percent.

In a few locations, violent crime dropped by double digits. Canyon Lake recorded the biggest decline -- 46 percent -- followed by Eastvale at 32 percent, Palm Desert at 16 percent, Coachella at 9 percent and La Quinta at 8 percent.

The location where overall crime plummeted by the widest margin countywide was Canyon Lake, at 29 percent.

County public safety officials have attributed upward spikes in crime to a variety of factors, including the Public Safety Realignment Act of 2011, which slackened punishments for repeat offenders who fall into the "non-serious, non-violent'' category, as well as voter-approved Proposition 47, which altered sentencing guidelines, making many drug and property crimes misdemeanors instead of felonies.

Prop. 47 also mandated re-sentencing individuals convicted of various felony drug and property crimes, enabling them to get out of prison.

--City News Service/File photo