Police: Local Robberies Reached 10-Year Low in 2011

Robberies in Fountain Valley dropped to a 10-year low in 2011, and major crime was down across the board, according to figures released Monday by the Fountain Valley Police Department.

"We have a lot of young, aggressive officers on the street, and a lot of experienced officers showing them the ropes," Fountain Valley Police sgt. Kurt Ulrich said. "When you see statistics like this, it's pretty attractive to us."

Crimes classified as Part 1—homicide, rape, robbery, assault, theft, and burglary—were down more than 6 percent from 2010. Robberies decreased by 50 percent to the lowest level in a decade. Felony and misdemeanor assaults, commercial burglary, auto theft, and arson also decreased in 2011.

The one area were crime rates increased in Fountain Valley during 2011 was residential burglary, which increased by 19 percent over 2010.

While crime decreased, highway safety increased. The total number of injury collisions in Fountain Valley declined by more than 8 percent compared to 2010, the lowest rate since 2008. Non-Injury collisions dropped over 16 percent.