Violent crimes spiked in Yuba City in ‘16

of factors, including a statewide increase in violent and property crimes, and well as Proposition 47, passed by voters in November 2014, which reduced penalties for certain crimes.

“When you displace 10,000 prisoners out of the jails and you put them into your community, there’s going to be a reaction to that,” Landon said during his presentation. “And that’s what we feel a lot of our increase has been attributed (to) ... We’re

working with the California Police Chiefs Association, the League of City Managers (and others) to make sure our voice is going to be heard in the upcoming years.”

When a case – especially a homicide – is suspected of being gangrelated, Landon said, it poses unique challenges.

“It does show you one thing, though – when we’re dealing with gang cases, they don’t happen fast, they don’t get solved overnight, nobody wants to come forward,” Landon said. “When you’re dealing with gangs, you’re talking about somebody that probably doesn’t even know this guy, not associated with him, nobody wants to talk to him, he may not even be from this area. So it makes the cases a lot harder, but we don’t give up on them.”

Larceny thefts (wrongful taking of property): Rose from 1,150 to 1,389.

Burglary (entering a building and unlawfully remaining with the intent of committing a crime): Dropped from 429 to 406.

Robbery (use of violence or threat; to plunder or rifle): Rose from 66 to 76.

Motor vehicle theft: Rose from 203 to 235.

Aggravated assault: Rose from 122 to 164.

Rape : Dropped from 28 to 24.

Homicide: Rose from zero in 2014 and 2015 to eight in 2016.

Also on the rise: the number of service calls received in relation to transients, Landon said.

“We’re spending a lot more time responding to that, not only throughout the year, but even at the beginning of this year with the high rise of the water in the levee areas,” Landon said. “It does create a large backlog of calls.”

Landon also showcased the amount of drugs brought in by the Narcotics Enforcement Team, or NET-5. He said that although he didn’t have past years to compare to, the numbers are “very high.”

Methamphetamine: 12,535 grams. Cocaine: 1,044 grams. Heroin: 4.37 grams.

Marijuana: 1,081 pounds.

Marijuana plants eradicated: 2,857. Butane hash oil labs: 12. Firearms: 81. Currency: $147,452. Arrests: 152.

Search served: 55.

Probation/parole searches: 30. Consent searches: 37. Gang arrests: 26. Yuba-Sutter Anti-Gang Enforcement Deployments: 14.

Going forward, Landon said the department’s priorities include gang and violent crime suppression; NET-5 and gang task force maintenance; a parking lot expansion at the department; realignment; volunteer and citizen academies; and better communication with other agencies.

“In the past, we’ve had the problem of trying to be our own little missile silos, and everybody doesn’t share information,” Landon said. “You’ll see a lot through this missing person for Aly Yeoman, we’re working together, we’re sharing information, we’re sharing resources, and we want to make sure that we’re playing good together to make sure that everybody gets the best value... there’s no silos in between us.”

Staffing has also been a priority for Landon, who said there are four vacant positions with five people in the process of going through background checks.

At one point in 2016, YCPD had 12 out of 64 sworn officer positions vacant, according to Appeal-Democrat archives.

Though violent crime statistics in Yuba City have risen over the past few years, Landon said the city is still below similar crime rates statewide and nationally.

“We are more focused than ever to keep this a safe community,” Landon said. warrants