Likely Increase in Albany Crime This Year, Chief Says

Albany crime is likely to increase this year over last year, Albany Police Chief Mike McQuiston said Sunday.

He told visitors on a tour of the police department during the department's "Safety Palooza" open house that major crime totals at the end of 2013 will "probably" surpass those of 2012.

The attached chart shown by McQuiston displays the "Part 1" or major crimes that are included in the FBI's Uniform Crime reports. Albany's total generally has been falling over the past decade, though last year's 595 Part 1 crimes was higher than the figure for 2011, which was 513, the lowest in the 10-year period. The 10-year high was 938 Part 1 crimes in 2003.

"I'm hopeful that we're not going to surpass 2010, but we very well might," he said. The city had 623 Part 1 crimes in 2010.

Part 1 offenses fall into two categories, violent crimes and property crimes, and the vast majority of such crimes in Albany are property crimes. Last year, for example, property crimes (which include many auto and home burglaries) numbered 545, or 92 percent of the total crimes.

The four Part 1 violent crimes are:
1. Criminal Homicide
2. Forcible Rape
3. Robbery
4. Aggravated Assault

The four Part 1 property crimes are:
5. Burglary 
6. Larceny-theft (except motor vehicle theft)
7. Motor Vehicle Theft
8. Arson 

"Albany is a very safe city," McQuiston said. "There is very little violent crime."

He singled out car burglaries as especially common and said the main reason was that people leave valuable items, or objects that may appear to contain valuable items, within view inside the vehicles.

He also said that Albany, like other cities in the region, has seen an increase in home burglaries.

He noted that the burglary surge follows adoption of AB109, the 2011 California prison realignment law that shifted those convicted of certain crimes to local jails and supervised release instead of state prison. At the same time, he acknowledged that a coincidence does not necessarily equal cause and effect.

He also explained the relatively recent change in how 911 calls from cell phones are handled. Formerly they went to the California Highway Patrol, a system that could result in delays or lost calls, especially during times when the call volume was high.

The current system allows participating jurisdictions, including Albany police, to receive 911 calls made in Albany, he said, adding that the system is still imperfect and results in a few calls crossing city borders. Such calls are forwarded to the appropriate agency.

McQuiston also took questions from the audience, whose most active inquirers seemed to be in the 7-9 age group.

"What happens if robbers try to rob you?" asked one girl.

"I'd probably call the police," he said.

"But you are the police," she said.

He turned the tables and asked the audience a question: Why have 911 calls increased 56 percent since 2009?

One of the young visitors had the correct answer: more cell phones.

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