Many large cities across the country, including San Diego, saw a drop in violent crime in the first half of 2024, according to a new national survey.
San Diego had 18 homicides in the first six months of the year, compared with 34 during the same period last year, a 47 percent decrease, according to the Major Cities Police Chiefs Association’s Mid-Year Violent Crime Report.
The city saw a 17 percent drop in reported rapes, from 183 to 151, and a nearly 6 percent drop in robberies, from 596 to 562, during that time period, the report said. The number of aggravated assaults dropped about 1 percent in San Diego, from 2,113 cases in the first six months of 2023 to 2,088 in the same period this year.
The report compares preliminary data collected in the first six months of 2023 and 2024 in nearly 70 cities.
Overall, major cities saw a 17 percent decline in homicides in the first six months of the year, according to the report. Rape was down 9.7 percent, robbery was down 6 percent and aggravated assault was down 5.4 percent.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the data indicates a substantial reduction in violent crime and comes on the heels of last year’s historic drop in homicides nationwide.
Garland said the Justice Department launched an “ambitious strategy” three and a half years ago to combat violent crime, investing in partnerships with federal, state and local law enforcement. The effort focused on arresting violent criminals, seizing and tracing weapons used in crimes, disrupting drug trafficking and helping departments hire officers.
“The Department of Justice’s work alongside our partners to reduce violent crime is paying off,” he said in a statement. “But our message remains clear: We will not rest until every person and every community is safe from violent crime.”
San Diego police officials said they were “proud to see crime trends continue to decline,” but said it is difficult to determine exactly what is causing the declines, noting that crime “can go up and down.”
“The support of the Mayor of San Diego, the City Council, the community and the efforts of San Diego police officers are critical to reducing crime in a comprehensive manner,” the department said.
The department said it uses a “collaborative approach” to address and reduce crime and highlighted its community policing efforts, outreach, collaboration with community stakeholders and use of technology to combat crime. It also tries to “maximize efficiency within an overstretched staff environment.”
Last year, the City Council approved the Police Department’s proposal to install 500 streetlight cameras equipped with license plate readers at targeted locations around San Diego, a project that will cost about $12 million over the next five years. That decision was also cited as key to the city’s approach.
“One of the most significant changes in SDPD’s approach to policing over the past six months has been the implementation of the Smart Streetlight program,” police Lt. Daniel Meyer said in a statement. “While we again cannot present a direct cause-and-effect relationship between the two at this time (as we are still installing cameras and training officers on the system), we have been pleased with the successes of the program.”
According to Meyer, the smart streetlights have aided in the investigation of more than 160 incidents since January and have helped officers recover more than 100 stolen cars and arrest dozens of suspects.
The national survey found declines in all four categories tracked in several major California cities besides San Diego, including Oakland, Sacramento and San Francisco. In some cities, including San Jose and Fresno, violent crime increased year over year in some categories but decreased in others.
Los Angeles County and the city of Los Angeles saw declines in three categories of violent crime, but recorded increases in the number of reported robberies.
In Oakland, the number of reported homicides dropped from 52 in the first half of 2023 to 47 this year, a drop of nearly 10 percent. That’s the lowest level there since the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting lockdowns hit in 2020.
A decline was also seen in all four categories of violent crime in San Francisco, where 17 homicides were reported, reducing the number of murders in the first half of 2023 by more than 30 percent. The city also reported about 200 fewer robberies.
Robbery cases in Oakland dropped from about 1,500 to about 1,350, according to the survey, while the number of aggravated assaults also declined. The most significant change was the robbery rate, which dropped about 15 percent.
- Bay Area News Group staff writers Nollyanne Delacruz, Caelyn Pender and Harriet Blair Rowan contributed to this report.
Original story:
San Diego, other large cities report drops in violent crime in new survey
