Report shows that more blacks and Latinos are involved in crime in San Diego county

Yvette Urrea:

In 2004, 54 percent of the county's population was white, 27 percent Latino, 14 percent another ethnicity and 5 percent black, the report showed.

But blacks were most likely to be violent crime victims, which is consistent with national statistics, according to the report. The percentage of black homicide victims countywide grew from 14 percent in 2002 to 26 percent in 2004, the statistics showed.

Rob Howard, president of the North County chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said he found the report did not include the economic status of the victims and suspects, which he thinks would give the information some context.

"If they had done it by economic status, the number of people who are the victims, I would believe, are the ones in poverty," Howard said. "Poor people have less hope and there is higher crime in those neighborhoods."

He added, "Look at the economics, at what has happened since 2002. While we're counting the stock market (which) is doing better, the economy is not."

Additionally, blacks made up 28 percent of the county's homicide suspects, 20 percent of assault suspects, 38 percent of robbery suspects, and 23 percent of rape suspects, according to the report.

Sixteen percent of the county's assault victims, 11 percent of robbery victims and 13 percent of rape victims last year were black, the report showed.

Sheriff's homicide Capt. Clay Reynard said he believes the large numbers of blacks and Latinos as victims could have to do with gang activity in the county.

Oceanside police Lt. Shawn Murray said the number of homicide victims by ethnicity has been fairly consistent from year to year in Oceanside, and in Escondido, detectives have not seen an increase in victims of any specific ethnicity, Lt. Dave Mankin said.

The report showed that Latinos were victims in 46 percent of the county's homicides, 33 percent of assaults, 37 percent of robberies, and 28 percent of rapes.

In 2004, Latinos were suspects in 38 percent of homicides, 36 percent of assaults, 37 percent of robberies and 42 percent of rapes.

Whites made up 22 percent of the homicide victims and 24 percent of homicide suspects in 2004; 43 percent of assault victims and 36 percent of assault suspects; 41 percent of robbery victims and 20 percent of robbery suspects; and 52 percent of rape victims and 27 percent of rape suspects, the report stated.

San Diego Crime Victims and Suspects in 2004