Ramona Sees Big Jump in Violent Crime in First Half of 2012

The crime rate in Ramona rose 43 percent the first half of 2012 compared to the first six months of 2011, following a countywide trend, the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) announced Wednesday.

Ramona's 2012 mid-year crime rate fell below the average for the county, with 20.48 crimes reported out of every 1,000 residents in Ramona, a 43 percent rise from the , and a 23 percent increase compared to 2008. 

The violent crime rate in Ramona jumped a whopping 71 percent compared to the 2011 mid-year numbers. The 60 violent crimes reported is the highest since 2008.

Ramona's violent crime rate saw one of the largest jumps in the county, but at 3.33 crimes per 1,000 residents, it falls below the county average.

As for Ramona's property crime rate, it's up 40 percent from last year's mid-year rate.

Regionally, the average mid-year violent crime rate rose 8 percent, while the property rate climbed 7 percent in the year-over-year comparison, according to the SANDAG. Though higher than last year's mid-year crimes rates, this year's tallies are lower countywide than any year between 2003 and 2010.

It's too early to tell if this year's uptick is temporary or if it's the beginning of a trend, according to Cynthia Burke, director of criminal justice research for SANDAG.

"We have enjoyed historic lows in crime rates over the past decade, so it's not entirely surprising that the numbers are now going up," Burke said in a statement.

According to SANDAG, a total of 5,808 violent crimes were reported to law enforcement in the county between January and June, 60 in Ramona.

The agency said that of the 33,599 property crimes reported countywide in the first half of this year, 309 in were in Ramona.

-City News Service contributed to this report