California Criminal Justice FAQ: How much crime is there in California?

Rise and Fall of California's Crime Rates

In 2007, about 3,600 crimes were committed in California per 100,000 residents (a total of roughly 1.3 million incidents). Most were property crimes.
From 1992 to 2000, the state’s crime rate declined each year, with an overall reduction of 44 percent during this nine-year period. This trend is similar to declines in crime patterns in the rest of the U.S.
Since 2000, however, the overall crime rate grew steadily until a modest decline that began in 2004 and continued through 2007.
Currently, the crime rate in California is at the lowest level since 1962. However, the state’s violent crime rate remains consistently higher than the U.S. rate.
For more information on state and county crime rates, visit the Criminal Justice Statistics Center on the Department of Justice’s website.