Crime Rates According to the Public Policy Institute of California
According to the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), crime rates during the pandemic are somewhat limited. Given the limitations, the PPIC is providing preliminary 2020 trends but focusing on 2019 rates. As reported by the PPIC, preliminary data shows that some types of crime rose during the pandemic in California’s four major cities.
Preliminary data indicates that during the pandemic, some types of crime rose in:
- Los Angeles
- Oakland
- San Diego
- San Francisco
At the beginning of the pandemic, early data suggests that violent and property crime rates dropped significantly but returned to pre-pandemic levels (violent crime) or plateaued (property crime).
There was a notable 30% increase in homicides and a 20% increase in motor vehicle theft and commercial burglaries during the pandemic.
California Crime Rates Prior to the Pandemic
Prior to the pandemic, the violent crime rate in California had decreased by 2.9% from 2018 to 2019. Data from the PPIC shows that both property crime rates and violent crime rates in the state were at historic lows in 2019.
In 2019, the most common violent crimes in California were:
- Aggravated assaults (60%)
- Robberies (30%)
- Rapes (9%)
- Homicides (1%)
Nationwide, California ranked 12th for violent crime rate, with most counties seeing a decrease in violent crime. Research from the PPIC shows that 38 out of California’s 58 counties saw a decrease in violent crimes in 2019.
The same was true for property crimes. 39 out of California’s 58 counties saw a decrease in property crime rates during 2019. The reduction in many counties was significant, including 11 counties that saw a decrease in property crime of over 10%.
The PPIC’s February 2021 Fact Sheet lends substantial insight into the crime rate shifts before and during the pandemic.
