There are a few reasons why people would pay premium for Irvine.

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If Irvine real estate going to crash as some would predict that it will, then most of all other real estate will be destroy to practically nothing. Reasons are follow in one of recent article in the OCRegister. Sure we are not completely crime free, where is such a place let me know except for heaven. With all the intimate details of Irvine Police knowledge of each of the villages, it sure make me proud to own a home in Irvine and feel that no matter what, I am still far better off then owning anywhere else.



<a href="http://www.ocregister.com/articles/irvine-community-city-2466765-police-people">http://www.ocregister.com/articles/irvine-community-city-2466765-police-people</a>



<span style="font-size: 16px;">If it's America's safest city, it must be Irvine

But why does it get this distinction year after year?</span>





By SEAN EMERY

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Comments 17 | Recommend 0

There's a sameness to Irvine. Year after year ? five years to be exact ? the city has the distinction of the safest in the nation.

Was it just planned that way by the Irvine Co., or is it the focus of the Police Department on building relationships with the community?

Probably a little of both.

FBI statistics released earlier this month verified what months of preliminary number crunching had already hinted at, that Irvine in 2008 once again had the lowest number of crimes per capita in the country for any city with more than 100,000 people.

In fact, Irvine reported the lowest violent crime rate in its 37-year-history, with an average of about 62 violent crimes per 100,000 residents.

So, what has kept violent crime at bay even as Irvine's population has soared past the 200,000 mark?

Officials say it all comes down to building ties with the community, from crafting patrol beats that give officers a deep knowledge of Irvine's various neighborhood villages and retail centers, to keeping an eye on local students in danger of falling into gang life.

And it doesn't hurt that the city best-known for its intricate planning still has plenty of financial resources available to bolster public safety.

Geo-policing

Faced with a sprawling community spread over more than 70 miles, Irvine police since 2003 have operated under "geo-policing," a concept that breaks the department's focus into three separate areas, each with its own commander, investigators and patrol officers.

"Back before geo-policing, you could be working by the airport one shift, then out by the Spectrum the next. Now, when you sign up for one of the areas you commit to that for a year," Lt. John Hare said. "You become more familiar with the area and establish relationships in the community. You know where all the 24-hour-businesses are, and you probably know the first names of all the people there."

That familiarity is especially important for time sensitive cases, such as thefts, burglaries or robberies, police say.

"We have the ability, from even a standard patrol officer, to spend the time, get the facts and do our own investigations," said Detective Sgt. Mike Hallihan, who oversees investigations in the University zone, south of the 405 freeway.

The community policing also allows officers to build an easier rapport with residents and businesses, Hallihan said.

"You get out of your car and communicate with people. The community is very supportive of the police here, and that is very different from other cities in California," Hallihan said. "There are some cities where they don't like the police and that just makes your job tougher."

Watching out for the youth

Irvine Police Chief David Maggard says one key reason for Irvine's relative lack of violent crimes is the fact that the city has no territorial youth gangs. Authorities are working hard to make sure the gangs don't get a foothold in the city through its school resource program, which includes an officer assigned to each campus as well as a youth liaison officer who oversees the program from a citywide perspective.

"If we find that we have graffiti or tagging popping up in certain areas of the city, we immediately work with the area officers to identify what is going on and who is responsible for that activity," Maggard said. "We have great success in identifying people involved with vandalism, particularly tagging, and we strongly believe that suppresses crime, suppresses opportunities for gang membership."

The focus paid to less violent crimes acts as a deterrent to potential criminals, police say.

"I've talked to people I've arrested, and they've said 'I knew I shouldn't have come to Irvine,'" Hallihan said. "They think we're petty because we investigate everything."

Strong city resources

City spending on public safety topped $55 million last year, and, despite an economic slowdown, the city's proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year earmarks more than $56 million toward the Police Department.

"We are focused on preserving a very high standard of living," Maggard said. "People come to Irvine because it is a safe community, a clean community and a community with great resources and city schools."

The city resources have allowed the Irvine Police Department to develop a number of innovative programs, including a partnership with the Orange County Fire Authority to investigate arson crimes, an ordinance meant to lock down construction sites from possible theft, a "return home registry" where people can sign up relatives in danger of wandering off, and outreach at retail centers advising shoppers to keep their cars locked and valuables out of sight.

Built for safety

The physical makeup of Irvine, the result of years of intricate study and planning, also helps to deter criminals, officials say.

Irvine Co. Senior Vice President Mike LeBlanc pointed to park and trail systems that keep the community walkable and residents engaged with their surroundings. He also pointed to street systems within the cities various neighborhood "villages" that cater to residents while often confusing outsiders.

"The smaller neighborhoods are insulated from the larger traffic," LeBlanc said. "Sometimes people who aren't used to Irvine ask 'how do I get out of here? And the burglars think that too."

LeBlanc praised police for a "no broken window" approach that he believes keeps residents engaged and protective of the community.

"We would not tolerate any sort of detrimental impact that will erode the value of the asset, and the asset is a sound community plan," LeBlanc said. "Schools are key, public safety is key, recreation and open space; those are all items of interest for people to come here."

Several mothers agreed with Irvine's reputation as a family-friendly city as they watched their children play at a Bill Barber Park playground on Tuesday.

"Having small kids, I never feel unsafe being out there, even at night," said Ana Camargo. "When I drive to Costa Mesa or Santa Ana it is a different world."

Across town at Heritage Park, several residents described safety and quality schools as Irvine's main draws.

"It's definitely one of the highlights of raising a child here," said Dina Conner. "You can go out at evenings and feel safe."

Of course, as several residents noted, Irvine is far from crime-free, with some pointing to a recent home invasion robbery and several assaults by groups of young men brandishing baseball bats.

"People still need to be careful and alert," said Steve Kight. "We have a great police force, but it's still our community."<pre class="code"></pre>
 
[quote author="irvinebullhousing" date=1247096609]If Irvine real estate going to crash as some would predict that it will, then most of all other real estate will be destroy to practically nothing. </blockquote>


Not really. Prices will drop until they reach an equilibrium of relative value. Irvine will always command a premium over other areas, and this premium is reflected in the rents achievable on Irvine properties. For example, two identical houses with one in Irvine and one in Tustin will show a 10%-15% difference in their rental rates, and the Irvine house will command a sales premium to match. The big problem with Irvine's market right now is that there is a 10% rental premium and a 50% ownership premium. That imbalance will be corrected over time.



As to the bigger point you were making, there certainly are good reasons to live in Irvine, and a feeling of personal safety is one of them. That is one of the many reasons there is a premium to live here. I am glad you are happy with owning a home in Irvine, just don't expect the ownership premium to remain as large as it is right now.
 
<a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-outthere7-2009jul07,0,6161571.story">http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-outthere7-2009jul07,0,6161571.story</a>



Saw this one in the LA Times the other day:





<blockquote>Irvine marches to a peaceful drummer



Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times

A child plays on climbing equipment at Northwood Community Park in Irvine. The 37-year-old city, which evokes affluent small-town America in its configuation of 17 self-contained villages, has been the nation?s safest for five consecutive years, according to FBI figures.

In the Orange County city, people live in beige houses and feel safe taking walks after dark. It may be boring, but residents don't mind.

By Tony Barboza

July 6, 2009

Jaci Woods is having trouble getting her neighbors to sign up for her WatchMail crime e-mail alerts. There's simply not enough crime in Irvine to warrant interest in dispatches about car burglaries, purse snatchings and stolen electronics.



Woods and her husband moved to Irvine from Virginia in 1971, the year the fledgling Orange County suburb incorporated, back when just a few thousand families were settling into sparkling new homes surrounded by ranch land. But the real estate broker worried that someday, as Irvine grew, it would succumb to big-city problems: overcrowding, traffic, noise, and escalating crime. But it hasn't.







Related Content

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Irvine -- 37 years old and now a city of more than 200,000 -- has been listed as the nation's safest city five years running, with less violent crime per capita than any other community over 100,000 people, according to FBI statistics.



Last year it experienced its lowest violent crime rate ever, with just 129 reported violent crimes and one homicide.



The tranquillity makes for a community where some feel carefree enough to keep their front doors unlocked and think nothing of taking a walk alone at night.



Woods, for instance, takes along pepper spray when she goes out for evening walks, but only for possible coyote encounters.



"We tend to get lax," Woods said. "We think: We're the safest city, we can leave things lying around, cars unlocked, purses and laptops in full view."



The top items in the crime blotter in the town's local newspaper paint the picture: stolen beer kegs from a concert amphitheater (they were empty) and a thief stealing school supplies and a clarinet from a car parked at an elementary school.



Irvine is so safe that some neighborhood watch groups have disbanded; it's the kind of place where residents call police to report dead crows on the road. And the police respond.



::



The well-to-do, educated community, sheltered in the southern half of Orange County, seems a world away from the urban gridlock of Greater Los Angeles.



It is a university town where the median household income is nearly $100,000 a year.



It is an ethnically diverse upper middle-class community that has drawn people from across the country along with a sizable population of Asian and Middle Eastern immigrants, lured by its high-performing schools, plentiful jobs and tidy environs.



The city was designed with safety and clean aesthetics in mind, with curving streets that meander through 17 self-contained villages, each with its own grocery stores, shopping centers, grade schools and architectural style.



The result is that, although the town's as big as Modesto or Reno, its villages exude small-town America.



It's a place so clearly designed for the enjoyment of its own that out-of-towners routinely get lost on its curving thoroughfares and looping side streets. The lack of a street grid system can be off-putting to would-be criminals, who might struggle to find their way in-or out.



In Irvine you can't see a gas pump from the street because they're considered unpleasant to look at and are masked by lushly landscaped berms. Hedges cover walls that could host graffiti.



Mike LeBlanc, an Irvine Co. senior vice president, said elements of the city's design are meant to foster "a sense of cohesion and neighborliness," he said. "And you don't attract an element that need not be there."



Elliott Currie, a professor of criminology at UC Irvine, however, says it may be more realistic to credit its tight-knit neighborhoods, churches and schools.



It's a religiously tidy community. Homeowners associations regulate the smallest details: the shade of paint, from eggshell to beige, what trees may be planted, the mowing and edging of every stretch of grass.



Police Chief David Maggard said he sees his department as a service-based organization, operating under the assumption that safety is contagious.



"If people have a sense that their community is safe, they will go out at night, they will interact with their neighbors, they will use the parks," he said, "and that does have an impact on crime."



Cops don't come to Irvine to bust heads or run-and-gun, and several officers interviewed seemed satisfied that they are able to spend time solving cases that might be shrugged off in towns with more crime, even while some say the pace of activity in Irvine is at times too slow.



"It's not that there's absolutely nothing that happens in Irvine," said Barry Miller, a field training officer.



"It just seems like there's no call we won't take," he said.



On a recent afternoon, Miller responded to a typical call.



On the street of two-story suburban homes, lined with jacarandas and palms and curbside recycling bins, a father and his 14-year-old son were arguing about water polo practice while he gave his other son a haircut in the garage.



Two police cars were on the scene within minutes.



Miller defused the situation with some gentle words to the father and son, smiling as he stood on the front lawn, looking more the part of mediator than hardened lawman.



The officer quickly typed the police code for "disturbance" in his patrol car's computer: 415 over son not doing what dad wants. Verbal only. No crime.



It seems an apt summary of life in Irvine: a place so care-free, by Southern California standards, that the most common adjective residents and out-of-towners use to describe it is "boring." And that's not a slam.



For the young and restless, though, the lack of excitement can be a drag. A group of area skateboarders founded a website called, simply, Irvine Sucks.



Students who come to UC Irvine from urban areas are "blown away by the level of peaceableness that exists here," said Currie, the criminology professor.



That is not to say serious crimes don't occur.



But when that rare violent attack or homicide is recorded, the community is stunned and police react forcefully.



When a man walked into a home through an open garage on a recent afternoon, demanding cash from a woman at gunpoint, police dispatched more than 40 units, four police dogs and a helicopter before a suspect was collared. A neighboring grade school was put on lockdown.



In Irvine, police draw accolades for their courtesy and professionalism, but in some ways, the department is like many others.



The city spends 39% of its general fund on police, a proportion comparable to that of bigger cities such as Los Angeles and Santa Ana.



About three-fourths of officers have college degrees, and the entire command staff, the city likes to boast, has advanced degrees including doctorates and law degrees.



Mirrored sunglasses are discouraged, ("It doesn't promote a healthy relationship to not be able to make eye contact" says department spokesman Lt. John Hare) and one of the department's precepts is "quality service," giving the corps of 200 sworn officers a demeanor that at times seems more corporate than cop.



In Irvine, things seemingly run so smoothly that a centrally controlled system of cameras at intersections allows traffic operators to zoom in on the precise cause of a traffic tie-up.



But as Woods, the real estate broker, puts it, Irvine is not for everyone.



"The people that don't like following rules say they can't stand it. I saw a man on a ladder starting to paint the side of his house lavender," she said, noting the color was banned by the homeowners association. "It's the ones like that that we guard against.



"It's who will follow the rules who we want."</blockquote>
 
<blockquote>?It?s the ones like that that we guard against.



?It?s who will follow the rules who we want.?</blockquote>




'nuff said.
 
The 1 homicide last year in Irvine was the Tri-Village Cook?

If it was, then there is no more icycle gun suicide.
 
[quote author="IrvineRenter" date=1247097902]



For example, two identical houses with one in Irvine and one in Tustin will show a 10%-15% difference in their rental rates, and the Irvine house will command a sales premium to match. The big problem with Irvine's market right now is that there is a 10% rental premium and a 50% ownership premium. That imbalance will be corrected over time.



</blockquote>


10% premium on rental, and 50% premium on ownership in the SAME CITY or you are just giving random examples? Use Tustin, or Aliso Viejo, or Ladera Ranch, I believe 10%, 50% you quoted are way way off.
 
<blockquote>

On a recent afternoon, Miller responded to a typical call.



On the street of two-story suburban homes, lined with jacarandas and palms and curbside recycling bins, a father and his 14-year-old son were arguing about water polo practice while he gave his other son a haircut in the garage.



Two police cars were on the scene within minutes.

</blockquote>


Am I the only one that sees something wrong with this picture?!?
 
[quote author="green_cactus" date=1247108621]<blockquote>

On a recent afternoon, Miller responded to a typical call.



On the street of two-story suburban homes, lined with jacarandas and palms and curbside recycling bins, a father and his 14-year-old son were arguing about water polo practice while he gave his other son a haircut in the garage.



Two police cars were on the scene within minutes.

</blockquote>


Am I the only one that sees something wrong with this picture?!?</blockquote>


I definitely see something wrong. He must have broken at least two association rules by #1 keeping the garage open for all of the neighbors to see and #2 using the garage as a barber shop. I would have called the police too that is after I first called an association meting to have him fined.
 
It shows that IPD will responds to citizen calls on big or small matters. No matter how silly it seem to other. After all how would you like it if you happen to call and have no response. It happen to me when I was living in LA county. Either the cops never show up, show up hours later, or worse fear for their own safety that has to go in with a several patrol cars at the same time.
 
My front license plate came off somewhere and I called the Irvine police to see if I would get a ticket if I didn't have one (because I know how the Irvine PD loves to give tickets). They said yeah I needed one and said I should report it in case someone picked up and used it for a crime. Ten minutes later they had someone come to my home to take a report.
 
This thread is stupid. Nobody here would say there is no premium to buy a house in Irvine.



A receding tide will still lower all boats.
 
[quote author="green_cactus" date=1247108621]<blockquote>

On a recent afternoon, Miller responded to a typical call.



On the street of two-story suburban homes, lined with jacarandas and palms and curbside recycling bins, a father and his 14-year-old son were arguing about water polo practice while he gave his other son a haircut in the garage.



Two police cars were on the scene within minutes.

</blockquote>


Am I the only one that sees something wrong with this picture?!?</blockquote>


Yes. I would be annoyed if I were the officer (unless I was so bored I was happy to have something to do), and more annoyed if I were the parent trying to deal with two children at once and knowing that some nosy neighbor was calling the cops on me for raising my voice. Poor guy was already dealing with enough and now he has to explain himself to the cops. Gee, that must have made his day.



<blockquote>When a man walked into a home through an open garage on a recent afternoon, demanding cash from a woman at gunpoint, police dispatched <strong>more than 40 units</strong>, <strong>four police dogs</strong> and a <strong>helicopter</strong> before a suspect was collared. A neighboring grade school was put on lockdown.</blockquote>


I had a normal "danger" response to the above until I read the part about 40 units, etc. I admit I LOL at that. What is the threashold for police response to one dude? Would 39 really not be enough? LOL. If you've got a helicopter for above, and 4 dogs sniffing around on the ground, I'm thinking that many of the other police officers were overkill. The next thing I thought was "well, THAT would have been the time to commit another crime somewhere else in the city since all the police were hunting for the robber dude".
 
I just think how much that costs. Can we as a society support such overkill, even for an admittedly bad person that we really want to catch?



40 cops@$200/hr, 4 dogs/handlers @300/hr, 1 copter@$5k/hr is what, $15k per hour.



couldn't they do it with say, three cops and one dog?
 
someone tried to steal my car in the shopping center on Jeffrey near Ridgeline. It took the Irvine PD 4 hours to come after I called them from the gas station.
 
I always think it's so funny when people get all bent out of shape about the police and the stupid calls they have to respond to.



We lived in Venice Beach for three years and trust me, the police blotter looked the same there. Sure there were murders, gang activity, tourist rip-offs, etc. But there also were thousands of Homeless Woman peeing on Stop Sign, Father yelling at Kid, Cat in neighbor's yard, etc. These are PEOPLE. And there will always be PEOPLE problems.



So they caught a guy that invaded a home and threatened a woman with a knife. It cost 15K. What if it was your Mom. Your daughter. The Irvine PD shut down a neighborhood a couple weeks ago because a guy knocked on a door, when nobody answered he went in and started robbing it when he discovered a 10 year old kid petrified in a closet! The kid called 911 and the Irvine PD SHUT DOWN that damn neighborhood. Nobody in or out. And they nailed the dude.



What this does is make criminals talk. Screw that Irvine shit dude! They'll shut down the whole neighborhood and pull you in! Go into Riverside and they might send one unit 30 minutes later. You'll be having a drink at the bar instead of hiding in the trunk of a car for 10 hours.



I love it. I follow rules. Do I know there are meth houses in Irvine? Hell yeah! Prostitution? Hell yeah! Molesters? Drunk drivers? Crack addicts? Hell yes! They're all here, obviously. And they are in every city in America.



I'm just saying that our PD does a killer job of keeping out the worst of the worst and it's a city that I don't worry when my girlfriend goes out at 8pm to Target to get a bunch of household items.



If you love danger, little police response, no association rules, and a whole lotta "culture" well just buy yourself a nice little place in Baja. It's cheap, there are no rules, you can buy any drugs you want at a pharmacy without a prescription, you can drink at 16 and nobody will care, etc.



I like Irvine. And I'll pay a premium to live here.
 
[quote author="IrvineCitizen" date=1247118381]I always think it's so funny when people get all bent out of shape about the police and the stupid calls they have to respond to.



We lived in Venice Beach for three years and trust me, the police blotter looked the same there. Sure there were murders, gang activity, tourist rip-offs, etc. But there also were thousands of Homeless Woman peeing on Stop Sign, Father yelling at Kid, Cat in neighbor's yard, etc. These are PEOPLE. And there will always be PEOPLE problems.



So they caught a guy that invaded a home and threatened a woman with a knife. It cost 15K. What if it was your Mom. Your daughter. The Irvine PD shut down a neighborhood a couple weeks ago because a guy knocked on a door, when nobody answered he went in and started robbing it when he discovered a 10 year old kid petrified in a closet! The kid called 911 and the Irvine PD SHUT DOWN that damn neighborhood. Nobody in or out. And they nailed the dude.



What this does is make criminals talk. Screw that Irvine shit dude! They'll shut down the whole neighborhood and pull you in! Go into Riverside and they might send one unit 30 minutes later. You'll be having a drink at the bar instead of hiding in the trunk of a car for 10 hours.



I love it. I follow rules. Do I know there are meth houses in Irvine? Hell yeah! Prostitution? Hell yeah! Molesters? Drunk drivers? Crack addicts? Hell yes! They're all here, obviously. And they are in every city in America.



I'm just saying that our PD does a killer job of keeping out the worst of the worst and it's a city that I don't worry when my girlfriend goes out at 8pm to Target to get a bunch of household items.



If you love danger, little police response, no association rules, and a whole lotta "culture" well just buy yourself a nice little place in Baja. It's cheap, there are no rules, you can buy any drugs you want at a pharmacy without a prescription, you can drink at 16 and nobody will care, etc.



I like Irvine. And I'll pay a premium to live here.</blockquote>


Fine then ...



<strong>I for one welcome our new IPD overlords.</strong>
 
I'm not sure I should share this, but what the hell. On the topic of random things that police get called out for...



A friend of mine in Seattle had multiple cruisers show up and try to break down her door because she's... well, a bit loud during those intimate moments, and someone called the police thinking that she was being harmed.



I agree with IrvineCitizen, sure it may have cost 15k but that kind of extreme response is the best kind of deterrent. Staten Island has a fairly low crime rate, especially when compared to the rest of New York City, because a LOAD of police live there, and you can only get there by car or ferry, so the criminals don't want to bother.



Irvine IS boring, and it feels like the place shuts down at 9pm, but I suppose that's the real price you pay for the perception of being 'safer.'
 
[quote author="IrvineCitizen" date=1247118381]I always think it's so funny when people get all bent out of shape about the police and the stupid calls they have to respond to.



We lived in Venice Beach for three years and trust me, the police blotter looked the same there. Sure there were murders, gang activity, tourist rip-offs, etc. But there also were thousands of Homeless Woman peeing on Stop Sign, Father yelling at Kid, Cat in neighbor's yard, etc. These are PEOPLE. And there will always be PEOPLE problems.



So they caught a guy that invaded a home and threatened a woman with a knife. It cost 15K. What if it was your Mom. Your daughter. The Irvine PD shut down a neighborhood a couple weeks ago because a guy knocked on a door, when nobody answered he went in and started robbing it when he discovered a 10 year old kid petrified in a closet! The kid called 911 and the Irvine PD SHUT DOWN that damn neighborhood. Nobody in or out. And they nailed the dude.



What this does is make criminals talk. Screw that Irvine shit dude! They'll shut down the whole neighborhood and pull you in! Go into Riverside and they might send one unit 30 minutes later. You'll be having a drink at the bar instead of hiding in the trunk of a car for 10 hours.



I love it. I follow rules. Do I know there are meth houses in Irvine? Hell yeah! Prostitution? Hell yeah! Molesters? Drunk drivers? Crack addicts? Hell yes! They're all here, obviously. And they are in every city in America.



I'm just saying that our PD does a killer job of keeping out the worst of the worst and it's a city that I don't worry when my girlfriend goes out at 8pm to Target to get a bunch of household items.



If you love danger, little police response, no association rules, and a whole lotta "culture" well just buy yourself a nice little place in Baja. It's cheap, there are no rules, you can buy any drugs you want at a pharmacy without a prescription, you can drink at 16 and nobody will care, etc.



I like Irvine. And I'll pay a premium to live here.</blockquote>




I agree with you completely on this. There is a reputation for Irvine. Sure I will have someone bash me about Irvine. But the fact of the matter is Irvine reputation does not happen by accident or over night. Schools in Irvine does not achieves blue ribbons in one years. It takes a community, its take dedicated citizens, it takes dedicated teacher and police to make a great place to live and Irvine is one of the very few that people often talk about admiringly.



When I travel to China even the merchants there know Irvine and how they would want to send their kids to school here. Especially with the bad rap that happening in California about the our state is going to BK I feel that I am even more fortunate to live in such a great community even during great down turn. Things is still humming along here in Irvine. And I might add that it feel just like another day in park. :-)
 
[quote author="irvinebullhousing" date=1247112694]It shows that IPD will responds to citizen calls on big or small matters. No matter how silly it seem to other. After all how would you like it if you happen to call and have no response. It happen to me when I was living in LA county. Either the cops never show up, show up hours later, or worse fear for their own safety that has to go in with a several patrol cars at the same time.</blockquote>
Or maybe, just maybe there are way too many Irvine cops and they had nothing better to do. Maybe Irvine needs to cut the fat and lay a few cops off, just a thought.
 
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