To understand the criminal justice system in California, it is important to know more about criminal offenses. In particular, it will help to assess the trends regarding illegal activity in the Golden State.
There are many pieces of intriguing data intriguing data from the Public Policy Institute of California. Here is a look at crime rate trends in California tracked by the PPIC.
Property crime
Property offenses, including shoplifting, larceny, auto theft and burglary, are on the decline. The decrease in property crime from 2016 to 2017 was 2.1 percent. That is only 1.3 percent more than the rate in 2014, which set a 50-year record low. Despite the decrease, however, the rate of property crime in California is higher than the national average. California ranks 25th in property crime amongst the 50 states.
Violent crime
The data regarding violent crime in California are conflicting. On the one hand, it is historically low. The current rate is close to the levels in the 1960s before a dramatic increase in violent crime between 1960 and 1980. There is a higher rate of violent crimes such as robbery, rape and assault in California than the national average. California ranks 16th nationwide.
Crime rates by county and region
It is necessary to look at the rates by county to learn how crime impacts communities such as Irvine. Orange County has one of the lowest rates of property and violent crime. The counties and regions with the highest crime rates include the San Joaquin Valley, San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles County and the Inland Empire. Some counties have experienced a rapid increase in crimes. Those counties include San Luis Obispo, El Dorado, Mendocino and Yolo.
Crime data in California is a mixed bag, but there are some promising trends in terms of decreases and maintaining historical lows.