Attached is a summary of response times and recent crime data for the City of Santa Barbara collected by the Police Department and provided to the mayor and City Council.

The following are some highlights:

» Response times: The average response times to Priority 1 (emergency life-threatening) and Priority 2 (emergency non-life-threatening) calls for service met the performance objectives of seven minutes and 14.5 minutes or less, respectively, for these call types. The average response times, however, for Priority 3 (nonemergency) and Priority 4 (routine) calls for service did not meet performance objectives. State-mandated officer training requirements negatively impacted patrol staffing during this period, resulting in longer response times.

» Positive trends: The rate of robberies has been experiencing a strong downward trend. Year to date there has been a 33 percent decrease in robberies compared with the year to date figure from 2013, and a 49 percent decrease compared with the same period in 2012.

The overall rate of property crimes is also significantly lower than previous years. Year to date there has been a 23 percent decrease in property crimes compared with the year to date figure from 2013, and a 34 percent decrease compared with the same period in 2012. Of property crimes, the decrease in the rate of burglaries and thefts from vehicles has been significant. Year to date there has been a 27 percent decrease in burglaries and thefts from vehicles compared with the year to date figure from 2013, and a 54 percent decrease compared with the same period in 2009, the highest of the last five years.

» Areas of concern: Narcotics detectives report an abundance of methamphetamine on the streets due to the drug’s current low price. Since 2013, methamphetamine arrests have exceeded those of all other drugs, even marijuana. Bicycle traffic collisions continue an upward trend. Year to date there has been a 19 percent increase in bicycle traffic collisions compared with the year to date figure from 2013, and a 29 percent increase compared with the same period in 2012.

— Sgt. Riley Harwood is a public information officer for the Santa Barbara Police Department.