Crime Information 2005
Criminal Activity
Every police agency in the United States is required to report the number of certain specified crimes (murder, robbery, rape, aggravated assault, burglary, theft, and auto theft) to the FBI. These statistics, referred to as “index crimes,” are adjusted for population, and utilized to compare crime in communities across the country.
Burbank experienced a 3% decrease in index crimes. Crime peaked in Burbank in the early 1990’s, and index crime has declined by 36% since that time. To put that into a tangible perspective, in spite of the significant gain in population over the past 12 years, almost 1700 fewer people were victims of crime in the City last year than in 1993.
Violent crime decreased by 6% last year after a 7% decline in 2004, and has dropped by 56% since the peak years. In 1992, 567 people were the victim of murder, robbery, rape, or aggravated assault in Burbank. Last year, there were only 247. Burbank is an extremely safe city in which to live, work, and play. Violent crime accounts for only about 8% of the index crime, and a significant portion of that can be attributed to domestic partners.
Traffic Accidents
There was a 3% decrease in traffic collisions in Burbank, and more importantly, a 4% decline in injury accidents. There were three fatalities in 2005, down from four in 2004, and six in 2003. These statistics are excellent considering the growth in population, business, and traffic congestion in the City.
It was reported that injury pedestrian accidents rose from 18 to 33. In 2005, they increased again to 52. This is a significant trend and concern. The Police Department engages in pedestrian sting operations attempting to impact this trend. These actions are unpopular with motorists who receive citations for failing to yield to pedestrians, and pedestrians who are cited for walking against a red light. They believe that these tickets are not important. On the contrary, these statistics indicate that even more emphasis needs to be placed on enforcement for these violations.
Response Times
The Burbank Police Department Communications Center received about 181,000 phone calls, including 30,000 emergency (911) calls. The average ring time for answering ALL those calls was five seconds, or about two rings.
Over 50,000 calls for service were dispatched, and officers initiated an additional 35,000 incidents, and took almost 14,000 police reports. The average response time for emergency calls was 3:16, and the average response time for all calls for service -- from parking problems to murders -- was 13:02.