The San Marino Police Department presented updated crime figures to the Public Safety Commission during a meeting on Sept. 18 and reported a slight uptick in crime the month of August as well as a sharp rise in assaults.
After seeing only 11 part 1 crimes — serious crimes such as robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, theft, sex offenses and homicide — in June, the SMPD reported 14 cases in July and 24 in August. The August figures tie January for the highest number of part 1 offenses in a month so far this year.
There were seven assaults in August, the most reported in a month by the police department so far this year. The SMPD discussed a few of what they consider “significant incidents” and included them in the agenda for the safety commission meeting, mentioning an assault with a deadly weapon case that occurred in the 500 block of Greenwood Avenue on Aug. 24. A 33-year-old San Marino man was taken into custody and transported to Pasadena City jail for booking on charges of “domestic violence, making criminal threats, assault with a deadly weapon (knife), battery on peace officers, obstruction/resisting an officer and other offenses against officers and emergency personnel.”
Another significant incident involving domestic violence occurred near St. Albans Road and Mill Lane on July 6. A friend of the victim called police to report a physical altercation between a couple. The witness attempted to help the victim and was hit in the head by the suspect, a 55-year-old man from Sun Valley, who was placed under arrest.
Reported assaults through the first eight months of 2023 have risen 91% compared to the previous year. In 2022, there were only 12 assaults through August, and that figure this year spiked to 23 this year.
August was also a busy month for burglars and thieves, with eight burglaries reported that month, seven of which occurred at a home and the other at a business. The first auto theft of the year also occurred in August. The SMPD said the increase in burglaries may have been at houses left vacant during summer vacations.
“The majority of these homes had rear doors or windows shattered for suspects to gain entry into homes. Approximately half of these homes had surveillance videos, and many did not have alarm systems at their residence,” the department reported.
San Marino Police also issued three search warrants in the months of July and August for a residence and business involved in an embezzlement investigation.
In an effort to assist with investigations and recovering stolen vehicles, SMPD said that the deployment of new Flock cameras, which can read and register license plates, has begun. Three have been installed and are operational, and the remaining six cameras are still being deployed. The department is looking to add cameras to its officers and has tested AXON body-worn cameras. The department will now test LensLock body-worn cameras this month and then evaluate Motorola cameras.
First published in the Oct. 5 issue of the San Marino Tribune
