SANDAG Report Finds 30 Violent Crimes and 153 Property Crimes Reported Per Day in the Region

Oceanside shows an -8% drop in the Annualized FBI Index Violent Crime rate per 1,000 population

San Diego County CA— Violent crime rates in San Diego County are up 2 percent at mid-year 2018 compared to mid-year 2017, according to a new report released by the SANDAG Criminal Justice Research Division, Crime in the San Diego Region Mid-Year 2018 Statistics.
The new report finds 30 violent crimes and 153 property crimes were reported to law enforcement across San Diego County per day in the first half of 2018.
In 2017-18, Oceanside had an 8% drop in the Annualized FBI Index Violent Crime rate per 1,000 population while Vista was -18%, San Marcos -21%, Fallbrook -35% and Carlsbad +9% (The annualized crime rate per 1,000 population reflects the number of incidents reported in the first six months of the year, times two, divided by the population which has been divided by 1,000. Populations used to compute crime rates reflect the most current finalized California Department of Finance estimates, January 2017.
SOURCES: California Department of Finance; SANDAG Draft Demographic/Economic Estimates January 2017)
While crimes such as rapes and aggravated assaults showed a spike in the first half of 2018, homicides and robberies were actually down from the previous year.
Here’s a breakdown of violent crimes in San Diego for the first half of 2018:

• Rapes were up 13 percent compared to 2017
• Aggravated assaults were up 3 percent in the first half of the year
• 40 homicides occurred in the first half of 2018, down 5 percent from 2017
• Robberies were down 7 percent compared to the previous year

“When interpreting violent crimes, it is important to note that in 2015, California law enforcement agencies began to use a broader Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) definition of rape that includes male victims, sodomy, penetration with any body part or object, and no longer requires force,” said SANDAG Division Director of Criminal Justice Dr. Cynthia Burke. “As a result, some crimes that would have been classified as aggravated assaults are now considered rapes and some crimes that would not have been considered violent crimes are now captured in these statistics.”

Other notable findings in the newly released SANDAG report

• Property crime rates were down 3 percent at mid-year 2018 compared to 2017
• Burglaries in both residential and non-residential settings were down— 13 percent overall
• Motor vehicle thefts were down 3 percent
• The total number of larcenies increased by less than 1 percent, but grand theft of items valued more than $400 were up 13 percent— petty theft of items valued $400 or less was down 8 percent
• Across the seven types of larcenies, thefts from motor vehicles, from buildings, of bicycles, and pickpockets/purse snatchings were all up in the first half of 2018

Read the full SANDAG Criminal Justice report:
Crime in the San Diego Region Mid-Year 2018 Statistics
Since 1980, SANDAG has reported crime statistics for the San Diego region through a cooperative agreement with local law enforcement agencies. These data are used by local law enforcement, policy makers, and the community to track public safety over time, as well as the effectiveness of crime prevention and response efforts.

About SANDAG

The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) is the San Diego region’s primary public planning, transportation, and research agency, providing the public forum for regional policy decisions about growth, transportation planning and construction, environmental management, housing, open space, energy, public safety, and binational topics. SANDAG is governed by a Board of Directors composed of mayors, council members, and supervisors from each of the region’s 18 cities and the county government.