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By Sean Longoria of the Redding Record Searchlight

California saw greater increases in crime year-over-year than Shasta County, though locally crime rates are much higher than the state average, according to an analysis of recently released crime data.

The data came as no surprise to law enforcement leaders and others working to improve public safety, who continued to press the case for more resources to put more officers on the streets.

"We need the resources available to address crime," Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko said.

The county as a whole — including Redding and Anderson — saw nearly double the violent crimes compared to the state, based on population-adjusted figures.

The California Department of Justice last week released statewide crime figures for violent and property crimes. The data show both violent and property crimes have increased slightly in the past five years, although Attorney General Kamala Harris said in her annual report crime figures remain below 2010 levels and well below levels seen two decades ago.

Statewide, there were around 426 violent crimes per 100,000 people in 2015, while in Shasta County, the rate was 680 crimes per 100,000 people.

Property crimes countywide are about 20 percent higher locally per 100,000 people than the state average, the data show. In just Redding, that difference jumps to about three-quarters.

In Redding, violent crimes increased only slightly in 2015 compared to 2014, while property crimes increased more drastically.

Redding Police Chief Paoletti pointed to familiar culprits for the property crime increases — prison realignment and the voter-backed move to reclassify certain felonies as misdemeanors — in addition to people stealing to fuel drug addictions. Having more cops on the street would help deter criminals, even as the Redding Police Department is on pace this year to hit nearly 100,000 calls for service, he said.

"Our workload keeps going up as well," Paoletti said.

Like Bosenko, Paoletti pressed the need for more officers, in addition to more jail beds and treatment for addiction and mental health issues, to help curb crime.

Those resources may come in the form of half-cent sales tax in Redding, which officials estimate will add $11 million to public coffers to build more jail space, hire more police officers and firefighters, and help establish a sobering center and mental health facility. Voters will decide on the tax in the November General Election.

The jail bed space hits at holding criminals accountable for their actions, a message they've lost as the jail sees releases every day caused by bookings well in excess of available space, Shasta County Supervisor Leonard Moty said.

"I think the criminals know there's just not much of a consequence now," he said.

Moty, along with Redding Vice Mayor Brent Weaver, are pushing for support for the tax increase.

"The sense that I keep getting from these people is an increased level of discomfort in raising a family in this community and doing business here," Weaver said.

Ed Rullman, local businessman and founder of the Redding Merchants Crime Watch, struck a more optimistic note.

While he expects the area to stay "ahead of the curve" on crime for years to come, Rullman said residents and law enforcement officials need to continue to send the message that rampant criminal behavior is unwelcome while promoting the positive sides of the area.

"Once we start doing that, I think Redding will thrive again," Rullman said.

Preliminary FBI crime figures for the first half of 2015 also showed an increase in violent crime across many U.S. cities, though the FBI's report did not cover Redding. Experts have had difficulty pinpointing a cause or if it is the start of an upward trend from historically low levels in recent years, the Associated Press reported.

The FBI has yet to release its full report for 2015.

If you go

What: Redding Police Chief Robert Paoletti’s quarterly town hall meeting

When: 6 p.m. Wednesday

Where: Redding City Council chambers, Redding City Hall, 777 Cypress Ave., Redding