In February, Pacific Beach Planning Group discussed the continuing distressing violent crime statistics from the beach community’s commercial strip, and approved installation of a “scramble” pedestrian crosswalk to improve safety at the city’s third-most dangerous intersection.
“Once again, out of 125 city of San Diego communities, Pacific Beach ranks second overall with 216 violent crimes,” said PBPG chair Brian Curry. “Only East Village had a higher incidence of violent crime. It is simply unacceptable that this criminal activity continues in our community. There were 31 ‘reported’ sexual assaults. We are averaging nearly 20 violent crimes per month.”
Characterizing PB’s ongoing violent crime problem as “just outrageous,” and “apocalypse now,” Curry pointed out that the “vast majority of our crime activities take place in the business district, with 607 incidents in the last six months within one-half mile of 1000 Garnet Avenue.”
Noting San Diego Police Department’s Northern Division has 166 officers, 42 in the field, to cover 42 square miles, Curry said, “I’m disgusted with the city building underground parking garages that cost $80 million and maybe a football stadium, when public safety should be the very first priority.