Zero murders in San Pablo last year - big change for town East Bay spot puts reputation behind - 2013 murder rate: 0

Officer Mark Carducci talks with Jayon Evans, 4, while Jayon and his sister Jayonia Evans, 5, draw on the sidewalk. Officer Mark Carducci talks with Jayon Evans, 4, while Jayon and his sister Jayonia Evans, 5, draw on the sidewalk. Photo: Michael Short, The Chronicle Photo: Michael Short, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 19 Caption Close Zero murders in San Pablo last year - big change for town 1 / 19 Back to Gallery

San Pablo, one of the poorest enclaves in the Bay Area, accomplished something last year few cities can claim: zero murders.

For the first time in at least 30 years, the East Bay city, which not long ago claimed the fourth-highest per capita crime rate in the U.S., logged no homicides. That's down from seven slayings the previous year.

Other crimes were down dramatically as well. Rapes decreased by 57 percent, robberies by 30 percent, stolen vehicles by 31 percent.

"We were pretty used to gunshots. I can honestly say it's quieter," said Danielle Mayorga, a nanny who's lived in San Pablo for about 10 years with her family. "Now that I think about it, we don't really feel scared any more."

San Pablo, a city of 30,000 that's surrounded by Richmond on nearly all sides, has a per capita annual income of $17,286, among the lowest figures in the Bay Area. Almost 60 percent of its residents are Latino, many of them recent immigrants who are raising families and often working several jobs.

But those residents have proven that crime and poverty are not necessarily linked.

"Twenty-five years ago this was the worst shoot-'em-up town in the country," said Mayor Paul Morris. "But we all just decided to make safety a priority. I'm extremely proud of what we've done. It's an amazing success story."

New housing and retail, top-notch after-school programs, and improved parks and schools have all helped. But much of the credit goes to the Police Department, Morris said.

Chief Walt Schuld, who's been on the San Pablo force for 31 years, instituted several community outreach programs in the past year or two, including parenting classes in Spanish and police-led outings for kids.

"We're a very diverse community with a lot of immigrants, and we wanted to make them comfortable with the police," he said. "Our goal is that every kid in San Pablo, by the time they finish middle school, has six positive encounters with police officers."

The department of 54 officers also has increased foot and bike patrols, and assigns individual officers to "take ownership" of problems, such as drug houses, until the problems are fixed.

Schuld knew the programs were working, but he was still nervous as New Year's Day approached. Three days before Jan. 1, the city had a double shooting and Schuld thought the streak was over.

"Turned out to just be superficial wounds. I was so relieved," he said.

"Our goal has been to get the crime rate down to a level that would improve the quality of life for people in San Pablo, so they don't always have to look over their shoulder," he said. "Everyone's had a hand in it - the clerks, the detectives, everyone."

Also part of the city's transformation is Los Cenzontles Mexican Arts Center, a nonprofit music and cultural center that offers low-cost after-school programs for hundreds of kids annually.

Some kids go to Los Cenzontles five days a week for music, dance and art classes.

"We found that if you treat kids like thugs, that's what they become. But if you treat them like family, with respect and in their cultural comfort zone, you have a real opportunity to make a difference," said director Eugene Rodriguez.

The center has been so successful, it has drawn musicians including Bonnie Raitt, Linda Ronstadt and Jackson Browne to its performances.

"In the '90s there was a lot of crime here. But we've become a healthy, very positive and inclusive little community," he said. "I couldn't be more proud of San Pablo."