2012 Annual Report

Chief's Message

I am proud to present you with the 2012 Annual Report for the Garden Grove Police Department. While this report highlights the accomplishments of your Police Department, it also addresses the fact that our community is experiencing an increase in crime. I believe the partnership we enjoy with all members of this community will successfully mitigate this upward trend, however, there is still hard work to be done in order to succeed in this endeavor.

During 2012, an automated report writing system was put into service in the Department. This system, which also features case management, scanning and archiving capabilities, is a significant step towards the goal of automating all reports taken and retained by the Police Department. The process of automating documents should be completed during 2013, and will make all reporting records “paperless.”

Providing current crime information to the community is a critical component of successfully reducing the crime rate, and the Police Department is committed to ensuring that residents and business owners have as much information as possible in order to better safeguard themselves. To that end, the Department added an Internet application to the Garden Grove Police Department website that provides data for all crimes reported in the city of Garden Grove. This information will allow residents to factually determine what crimes may be occurring in their neighborhoods. The Department also has the ability to activate a geography-based telephonic notification system, which alerts residents and business owners to crime trends impacting specific areas of the city.

During 2012 there was a marked increase in property crimes, many of which were preventable. Many factors can drive our crime rate to go up or down, however, we can all take steps to reduce our vulnerability and prevent becoming victims. The unfortunate truth is that there are people in this community who desire to steal your property, so I urge you to make sure and lock your vehicles and homes, and to not leave valuables visible in your automobiles.

The State of California is beginning its second year of Parole Realignment, and more than 65,000 prison inmates will be released from prison sooner than they would have been prior to this legislation. This underscores the need for all citizens to remain vigilant and stay aware of what is occurring in their neighborhoods.

Each member of this Department is committed to providing effective, professional and respectful law enforcement services to this community. I am proud to be the leader of this fine department, and look forward to working with the community to ensure Garden Grove maintains its high quality of life.

Kevin J. Raney
Chief of Police