Crime in the beach communities dropped last quarter, October to December, compared to the same quarter in 2007, reported Captain Shelley Zimmerman of the Northern Division at the Pacific Beach Town Council on Feb. 19. The report includes Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, Mission Bay, La Jolla and Torrey Pines. Violent crime in the beach area dropped 17 percent from the year before. Rape decreased 85.7 percent from a reported seven cases in the 2007 quarter to only one this past quarter. Property crime decreased 17.2 percent from last year. Car theft alone declined 17 percent. Officers issued approximately 2,000 traffic citations. Zimmerman credits the decline to the partnership between the various city departments – from the police station to the mayor’s office and Councilmember Kevin Faulconer’s office – to the Neighborhood Watch groups and numerous active citizens. The division has also taken on new programs, including wearing reflective vests to create higher visibility and educating the public on taking a “no bystander” approach to crime. The Northern Division has also begun saturating an area occasionally to create a strong police presence. On Friday evening, Feb. 17, police saturated PB and arrested 17 people and issued 17 citations. “You can’t put a crime statistic on what we deter [by being visible],” Zimmerman said. The Northern Division has also been working with the Irish Consulate in San Francisco to educate the thousands of Irish students that visit San Diego each year on “how to be a good neighbor.” Zimmerman said between 2,500 to 3,000 students from Ireland will arrive in the summer on work visas and many will either live or frequent the beaches and bars. Zimmerman has personally met with an ambassador from the Irish Consulate to discuss the problems stemming from some of the Irish students. “Those we had issues with in the past were particularly students from Ireland,” Zimmerman said. Spring break begins March 6 and will continue for seven weeks into April, reported Zimmerman. The Northern Division has sent reminders to universities to remind students alcohol is not allowed on the beach. PB Town Council meets the third Wednesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at PB library, 4275 Cass St.