In CA, crime spikes as arrest rates dwindle

Good news for decarceration advocates (including County Supes who think jails are "tired systems that have failed us for generations"). This year's Crime in California report from the DOJ observes the logical conclusion of haphazard local set-them-free policies: Violent crime, property crime, and robbery rates are crescendoing in the Golden State, while overall arrest rates struggle to keep up.

Crime Rates per 100,000 Population

  • The violent crime rate increased 6.1 percent in 2022 (from 466.2 in 2021 to
    494.6 in 2022), and the property crime rate increased 6.2 percent in 2022 (from 2,178.4 in 2021 to 2,313.6 in 2022) (Table 2).

  • From 2017 to 2022, the property crime rate decreased 7.1 percent (from 2,491.0 in 2017 to 2,313.6 in 2022) (Table 2).

  • The homicide rate decreased 5.0 percent in 2022 (from 6.0 in 2021 to 5.7 in 2022), while the robbery rate increased 10.2 percent in 2022 (from 110.8 in 2021 to 122.1 in 2022) (Table 2).

  • The larceny theft rate increased 7.7 percent in 2022 (from 1,375.1 in 2021 to 1,480.3 in 2022), while the arson rate decreased 11.0 percent in 2022 (from 28.3 in 2021 to 25.2 in 2022) (Table 2).

  • From 2017 to 2022, the burglary rate decreased 17.6 percent (from 445.9 in 2017 to 367.5 in 2022), while the aggravated assault rate increased 24.0 percent (from 266.1 in 2017 to 330.0 in 2022) (Table 2).

  • From 2017 to 2022, the homicide rate increased 23.9 percent (from 4.6 in 2017 to 5.7 in 2022), while the robbery rate decreased 14.6 percent (from 142.9 in 2017 to 122.1 in 2022) (Table 2).

Arrest Rates per 100,000 Population at Risk*

  • The 2022 total arrest rate of 2,535.2 is 2.7 percent lower than the 2021 total arrest rate
    of 2,606.3 (Table 17).

  • From 2021 to 2022, the adult total arrest rate decreased 3.8 percent (from 2,949.6 in
    2021 to 2,836.3 in 2022), while the juvenile total arrest rate increased 34.7 percent (from 461.2 in 2021 to 621.1 in 2022) (Table 17).

  • The total felony and misdemeanor arrest rates decreased 0.7 and 3.7 percent, respectively, in 2022 (from 877.2 and 1,725.0 in 2021 to 870.7 and 1,660.9 in 2022) (Table 17).

  • The total violent offense arrest rate increased 3.4 percent in 2022 (from 308.1 in
    2021 to 318.5 in 2022). The homicide arrest rate decreased 5.9 percent in 2022 (from 5.1 in 2021 to 4.8 in 2022), while the robbery arrest rate increased 14.4 percent in 2022 (from 37.4 in 2021 to 42.8 in 2022) (Table 22).

  • The total property offense arrest rate increased 5.3 percent in 2022 (from 191.5 in 2021 to 201.7 in 2022). The burglary and theft arrest rates increased 9.4 and 12.2
    percent, respectively, in 2022 (from 50.0 and 79.8 in 2021 to 54.7 and 89.5 in 2022), while the motor vehicle theft arrest rate decreased 8.5 percent in 2022 (from 49.4 in 2021 to 45.2 in 2022) (Table 22).

*Population at risk means those between the ages of 10-69.

This report was originally published by the California Department of Justice. Read the whole thing here.

Read more here about the consequences of soft-on-crime policing.

Follow Opportunity Now on Twitter @svopportunity

Image by Wikimedia Commons

Jax Oliver