June manslaughter rate declines in San Bernardino
Can the decline be attributed to extra police patrols, sweeps or arrests? Or is it the natural ebb and flow of crime?
The reason remains to be seen.
"I think we can do everything possible and still have manslaughters," said Police Chief Robert Handy. "I would like to think some of the things we've done have reduced it, but sometimes there are spikes in crime where there's no real reason for it."
San Bernardino police have been busy focusing on violent crime, including 50 arrests and the seizure of 33 guns by the department's violent crimes task force since March. Many search warrants served by the team have been in areas where manslaughters have occurred.
An additional 90 arrests - mostly gang members - were made on June 13 during a crime sweep, but that operation was scheduled before May's rash of manslaughters.
Police said they have been taking preventive measures after each manslaughter to avoid any retaliation.
When a manslaughter occurs, officers conduct extra patrols in neighborhoods surrounding the crime scene and talk to people who might want to retaliate, Handy said.
They also focus on people who have a high likelihood of committing violent crimes, based on their history.
In early May, officers arrested a man they suspect had been stalking his girlfriend and threatened to kill her. He was armed with a gun.
"We believe
that person was on his way to commit a manslaughter," Handy said.Councilman Rikke Van Johnson applauded the Police Department's efforts to reduce violent crime.
"The police have made a good effort to combat it," he said.
But he added that May's spike was unusual. Despite the number of manslaughters that month, he said the the city remains on par with its manslaughter rate last year.
June began with the death of 19-year-old Donald Ray McCall Jr., who was found with multiple gunshot wounds in the 300 block of East Base Line. He died at the scene.
More than two weeks passed with no killings.
Then three manslaughters occurred, a fatal stabbing that prosecutors later determined was an act of self-defense, a man was shot in the driveway of his apartment complex and a man was found shot dead on June 23 on 21st Street near Mount Vernon Avenue.
Focusing on people police consider high risk could have contributed to the decrease in killings. But some deaths - particularly those involving domestic violence - are difficult to prevent with extra patrols, police say.
"We hit these spikes and then we have these drops," Handy said. "Some of it is unexplained."
Reach Melissa via email or call her at 909-386-3878.
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