Newly released Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) statistics for the first six months of 2016 show California’s reported urban crime rate remained stable from 2010 through 2016, despite the implementation of large-scale criminal justice reforms during that period.

The report finds that:

• Total urban crime fell 3 percent in the first half of 2016 compared to the first half of 2015. This decline was driven by a 4 percent reduction in property offenses and a 4 percent increase in reported violent crime.

• Following decades of decline, California’s urban crime rate remained relatively stable between 2010 and 2016. Throughout this seven-year period, property crime declined by 1 percent and violent crime increased by 3 percent, yielding no net change in the total crime rate.

• Crime rates have remained low and stable through an era of criminal justice reform, including Public Safety Realignment in 2011 and Proposition 47 in 2014.

• One-year changes in the crime rate varied considerably across California’s 69 largest cities. Overall, 28 cities reported increased total crime during this one year period, and 41 cities reported declines. From early 2015 to early 2016, 46 cities reported increased violent crime rates and 44 reported decreased property crime rates.

 To read the six page fact sheet, please click here.

Contact: For more information about this report or to schedule an interview with the author, please contact the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice at cjcjmedia@cjcj.org or (415) 621-5661 x 121.

 

Communications and Policy
Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice (CJCJ)
(415) 621-5661 ext 121