Sheriff Releases Crime Statistics

The Malibu/Lost Hills Police Station Wednesday released crime statistics for January 1 through February 29 of 2012, and while violent crime has decreased, property crime in Malibu is up in comparison to 2011. 

According to the report, which compares the first two months of 2011 to the initial two months of this year, a majority of the property crimes have been burglaries, several of which have been bicycles stolen from garages that were left open.

In January and February of 2011, there were seven reported burglaries in Malibu, a number that has ballooned to 18 in the first two months of 2012. Also seeing a significant increase from 2011 are the number of larceny thefts and incidents of grand theft auto. 

There have been 36 reported cases of larceny theft in 2012, as opposed to 29 in 2011, and there have been four cases of grand theft auto so far in 2012, as opposed to none in 2011. 

On the positive side, there were two instances of aggravated assault up to this point in 2011, and there have been zero instances so far in 2012. In addition, there have been no cases of criminal homicide, forcible rape, or arson so far in 2012.