Assaults, burglaries and vehicle thefts are up. Rapes and robberies are down.
Those are the main takeaways from 2020 crime statistics released last week by the Davis Police Department, charting activity from Jan. 1 to Oct. 25, compared to the same period last year.
During the nearly 10-month period, police received 44 aggravated assault reports, compared to 30 during the same time frame last year, a nearly 47 percent boost. The average for the past five years is 37.
Car thefts rose by just over 53 percent, from 73 to 112, while burglaries saw a 37-percent increase, from 211 to 289.
Davis Police Chief Darren Pytel said many of the reported assaults have fallen into the domestic-violence category, something that law-enforcement leaders nationwide have linked to coronavirus-triggered lockdown orders.
“Similar trends are being seen around the country and are widely attributed to increased stress and anxiety, and couples lashing out at each other,” Pytel said.
As for vehicle thefts, those numbers are up across the state.
“No one has put their finger on exactly what the relation is,” Pytel said. He noted that changes in state law have reduced the penalties for car thefts, while Yolo County’s ongoing zero-bail mandate for low-level offenses — intended to reduce jail populations and the risk of spreading COVID-19 — also brings fewer consequences for the crime.
“Cars are valuable and can easily be stripped and parts sold to make quick money. Or they can be driven for periods of time and dumped and a new car stolen for transportation,” Pytel said. “Few departments pursue stolen vehicles anymore so it’s a fairly low-risk crime from a criminal perspective.”
The burglary increase Pytel attributes in part to the police department’s online reporting system, which he says has made it easier for citizens to document the crimes — particularly amid the pandemic as officers prioritized emergency calls while referring others to online services.
But many property crimes are committed to fund drug and alcohol habits, something Pytel said his agency is trying to combat by referring offenders to substance abuse and mental health treatment programs.
“We’re seeing a lot of addiction,” Pytel said. Drug prices are dramatically down, availability is up, and “it’s a regional issue.” More than half the time, arrestees come from outside Davis or Yolo County in order to commit property crimes, “and that’s long been a problem,” he added.
Arson fires also are up, to 13 this year from three last year, which Pytel said involved a rash of dumpster blazes in the city.
Meanwhile, Pytel highlighted some silver linings amid the crime statistics.
“Our robberies are way down this year,” Pytel said, noting that Davis experienced a rash of armed robberies — and a few related carjackings — around this time last year that investigators connected to Woodland gang activity. Now, they’re down around 19 percent.
The reduction in rape reports, by 15 percent, may stem from the pandemic, which slashed the student population in a city where acquaintance-rape reports among young adults account for a majority of sexual-assault allegations.
“With fewer students in town and fewer parties, we’ve seen that corresponding reduction,” Pytel said.
Despite a series of COVID-related budget cuts and ongoing staffing shortages, the police department looks ahead to boosting several of its crime prevention programs.
The agency is touting its popular Neighborhood Watch program, and while the pandemic prohibits in-person neighborhood meetings, “we’re certainly open to doing Zoom meetings to help concerned neighbors come up with ways to watch out for each other and protect their property,” Pytel said.
Pytel also is hoping to restore foot patrols in downtown Davis, while the downtown bike officer position — a victim of budget cuts — could return in the spring.
The department also continues work on its strategic plan and intends to hold a series of community meetings — also likely online — to discuss policing trends and establish priorities for the coming years. Those are likely to begin in December.
Pytel described Davis as a “mixed bag” when it comes to law enforcement, with some taking an across-the-board, tough-on-crime stance while others favor reforms that prioritize violent crimes over property-related offenses.
“We have to balance all of that and figure out the right way to police Davis,” Pytel said.
— Reach Lauren Keene at lkeene@davisenterprise.net. Follow her on Twitter at @laurenkeene