Violent crime in area climbs: Incidents jump in Sacramento, Placer and El Dorado in 2006; numbers are easing this year.

Byline: Ryan Lillis and Phillip Reese

Jun. 4--From the rural communities of Placer and El Dorado counties to the urban core of Sacramento, violent crime was on the rise across the region in 2006.

No corner of the area was immune. The Sacramento Sheriff's Department saw a 30 percent increase in robberies and an 18 percent increase in overall violent crime in 2006 compared with the year before, according to figures from the California Department of Justice. The city of Sacramento logged its third consecutive year of increase -- and its violent crime rate was higher than nearly all the state's 10 largest cities.

In Placer County, the Sheriff's Department saw an 84 percent increase, and the parts of El Dorado County patrolled by the sheriff experienced a 26 percent increase in violent crime. Numbers for both counties still remain relatively low.

"Violent crime trends are continuing, but we have learned how to control them better and we're going to continue doing that," Sacramento Police Chief Albert Najera said.

Violent crimes do appear to be more under control this year.

Homicides, robberies, assaults and auto theft were down by double-digit percentages in the city the first four months of 2007, officials said. The Sacramento Sheriff's Department reported significant drops in robberies, larcenies, rapes, burglaries, assaults and arsons. Both agencies credit aggressive crackdowns on gangs.