(07:35) SANTA CRUZ – Santa Cruz has been seeing a drop in violent crime, according to an annual report released by the city’s police department. In 2015, crimes including homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault dropped by 5 percent compared with 2014. However, property crimes, such as burglary, theft, and arson rose nearly 9 percent. The report also shows the city is still struggling with illegal camping. From 2013 to 2014, the number of illegal camping reports rose from 1,800 to 2,500. The number dropped slightly in 2015, with 2,300 reports of illegal camping. The report also presented the success of a downtown program targeting chronic offenders. Since its implementation, the department has reduced their arrests and citations by around 70 percent. The agency plans to expand the program to the rest of the city. (S.G.)
