Violent and property crimes edged up in Newport and Laguna in 2016

Richard Mc Cleary, Professor of Criminology, Law and Society, is quoted in The Los Angeles Times Community News, Daily Pilot for his expertise regarding reports showing an increase of violent and property crimes in Newport Beach and Laguna Beach, compiled by the cities' police departments. In the article, he emphasizes how the overall crime increase in these cities are minute, and that drawing conclusions behind the cause of the crime spike is difficult.

From The Los Angeles Times:

However, Richard McCleary, a professor of criminology, law and society at UC Irvine, said it's "highly unlikely" that those who have benefited from prison realignment and Prop. 47 are committing Part 1 crimes.

McCleary emphasized that the overall crime increases in Laguna Beach and Newport Beach are slight and that it's difficult to draw conclusions about the cause.

"There is very little a police department can do to reduce the crime rate," he said. "One of the things they do, which they don't get a lot of credit for, is they make us feel better about living in society.

"It's not the crime itself that harms society, but it's the fear of crime because people are so afraid of being victimized they don't use parks, they keep their children out of school, they don't shop at certain stores. And the economic cost of that fear is incalculable.

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