California reports significant drop in violent crime rates for 2024

California reported a decrease in crime rates across most major categories in 2024, according to data from the California Department of Justice. The decline comes as the state increased investments in community safety and law enforcement.

Governor Gavin Newsom attributed these improvements to targeted public safety strategies. “President Trump is peddling the same tired lie he used in Los Angeles — claiming there’s rampant lawlessness in Democratic cities like Washington, D.C. The truth? GOP-led cities have higher crime rates. His authoritarian orders aren’t about safety — they’re an attack on the very foundation of our nation and a slap in the face to democracy,” said Newsom.

The latest statistics show that California’s homicide rate for 2024 was the second lowest since at least 1966, with homicides down nearly 12% compared to 2023. Other major crime categories also saw declines: violent crime dropped by 6%, property crime by 8.4%, aggravated assaults by 6.5%, motor vehicle thefts by 15.2%, burglaries by 9.1%, and robberies by 6.3%.

Comparing national data, California’s homicide rate has remained lower than many other states. For example, CDC figures from 2022 indicate that Alabama’s homicide rate was over one-and-a-half times higher than California’s; Oklahoma’s was more than forty percent higher; and Arkansas’ was double that of California.

The Governor's office noted that since 2019, burglary rates have fallen nearly nineteen percent statewide—the largest drop among all tracked categories during this period—while property crimes decreased nine percent, arson fell almost nine percent, and robbery declined just under ten percent.

In response to rising concerns about organized retail theft and other crimes, California invested $1.7 billion since 2019 into public safety initiatives designed to help local governments hire additional police officers and improve overall security measures. In August of last year, Governor Newsom signed bipartisan legislation aimed at strengthening penalties for property crimes such as smash-and-grab robberies and auto burglaries.

As part of efforts to address organized retail crime specifically, $267 million was distributed among fifty-five communities last year to support hiring more police officers and increasing arrests related to these offenses.

Additionally, collaborative operations between the California Highway Patrol and local agencies led to saturation patrols targeting high-crime areas such as Bakersfield, San Bernardino, and Oakland—resulting in over seven thousand arrests, recovery of five thousand stolen vehicles, and confiscation of more than three hundred fifty firearms.

“While Republicans in Congress pushed their ‘big beautiful betrayal’ bill that gutted law enforcement funding and the President focused on arresting farmworkers and day laborers, California has shown what real public safety looks like: serious investments, strong enforcement, and real results,” stated Governor Newsom.

The report comes amid criticism from President Trump regarding crime levels in Democratic-led cities nationwide—a claim disputed by both state officials and recent statistical trends.