SANTA MONICA POSTS LOWEST CRIME RATE IN OVER FOUR DECADES

January 21, 2004

Despite statewide reports that Part I crimes increased by 2.3% in California cities with populations of 100,000 or more over the first 9 months of 2003, Uniform Crime Report (UCR) statistics compiled for the California Department of Justice revealed that total Part I crimes in Santa Monica were reduced 4% from last year’s lows and had reached their lowest level in over 40 years. The Santa Monica Police Department received reports of 4,501 Part I crimes in 2003, down 59% from their peak of 10,891 in 1993, and lower than any year going back to 1960.

Crime fell 4% in 2003 when compared with 2002.  Violent crime (Murder, Rape, Robbery, Aggravated Assault) fell 14% in 2003 and 62% over the last 10 years.  This would be noteworthy in itself considering that statewide crime rose 2.3% for the first 9 months of 2003 (final numbers are not in statewide as yet).  However, this decrease is far more significant when one considers the information displayed in Table A.  Crime statistics have been catalogued by the Department since 1956.  Crime has declined in 9 of the last 10 years and 7 years in succession.  In the 38 years prior to 1994, crime has fallen only 2 years in succession on 3 occasions.  In the last 47 years, crime has fallen only in 19 calendar years.  Nine of those decreases occurred in the past decade.

Click here to view a Table of Crime Statistic for the last 4 decades

The crime rate today in Santa Monica has fallen 59% over the last decade. Homicide fell by 75% from 2002 and is 78% lower than 1993. The 6 lowest years (including 2003) of homicide on record have occurred between 1996 and 2003. Prior to 1996, the least number of murders committed in a calendar year in Santa Monica was 6. The record is 17 murders in 1980; the average prior to 1994 was nearly 9 murders per year. Violent crime is down 62% over the decade. Incidences of Robbery are down 66%, Rape down 57%. Property Crimes are down 58% collectively, led by Auto Theft (down 74%) and Larcenies (down 56%).  Burglary is down 49% at present, and 7 of the lowest 8 years on record for burglary have been recorded consecutively in the last 7 years (1997-2003). The 8th occurred in 1956 (from 1998 to 2001, burglary was lower than in 1956).

As a final note, these are among nation-leading figures over the decade in crime reduction. Because we are not a city of over 100,000 population, we are not included in major city crime comparison tables. Our current crime rate is the lowest in over 4 decades at a time when tourist and other visitations are at record levels. The state saw a property crime increase of 4.7% in the first 9 months of 2003, while Santa Monica’s property crimes continued to drop. Property crime in Santa Monica reached 1950s levels, falling 58% from their 1993 high of 9,446 incidents to 3,946 incidents in 2003.

For more information, please contact: Lieutenant Frank Fabrega (310) 458-8418

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