California Governor Gavin Newsom Credit: Office of the Governor
What you need to know: California experienced lower crime rates in 2024 thanks in part to substantial investments in community safety.
August 13, 2025 - Sacramento, California – While the President continues his assault on democracy, this time by threatening to deploy federal law enforcement officials to states across the country, California has brought down crime in nearly every major category. Based on data released by the California Department of Justice, nearly every major crime category, including violent crime and homicides, dropped in 2024.
Recently, President Trump baselessly deployed military assets in Washington, D.C. to “rescue our nation’s capital from crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor and worse,” repeating a playbook he used in the Los Angeles region in early June.
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.
Governor Gavin Newsom
The irony is palpable – on Trump’s first day in office in 2025, he pardoned more than 1,500 of his supporters for their actions to invade the Capitol on January 6. His followers assaulted Capitol and D.C. police officers, with more than 140 officers injured that day, one dying on January 7, and others dying by suicide later.
Trump also mentioned Los Angeles, Oakland, and other major cities in which he would similarly seek to deploy troops or federal law enforcement. . Although there was a nationwide spike in crime during President Trump’s first term, California made the choice to invest in — not abandon — its families.
Homicide rates
California’s 2024 homicide rate is now the second lowest it has been since at least 1966. The overall number of homicides in California decreased by nearly 12% since 2023.
The state’s homicide rates have historically been lower than those in many other states. According to CDC data from 2022, the latest year available for all states, Alabama’s homicide rate was 152% higher than California’s, Oklahoma’s was 41% higher and Arkansas’ was 100% higher.
- Mississippi = 1st worst homicide rate of any state in 2022
- Louisiana = 2nd worst homicide rate of any state in 2022
- Alabama = 3rd worst homicide rate of any state in 2022
- Arkansas = 6th worst homicide rate of any state in 2022
- Tennessee = 10th worst homicide rate of any state in 2022
- Oklahoma = 20th worst homicide rate of any state in 2022
California Trends: 2023 and 2024
In 2024, nearly every major crime category declined, including violent crime, property crime, homicides, aggravated assaults, motor vehicle theft, burglary, and robbery. In addition, total full-time criminal justice personnel increased 1.9% from 2023 to 2024.
- Violent Crime Rate: ↓ Decreased 6%
- Property Crime Rate: ↓ Decreased 8.4%
- Homicide Rate: ↓ Decreased 10.4%
- Aggravated Assault Rate: ↓ Decreased 6.5%
- Motor Vehicle Theft Rate: ↓ Decreased 15.2%
- Burglary Rate: ↓ Decreased 9.1%
- Robbery Rate: ↓ Decreased 6.3%
Trends over time
Since 2019, property crime, arson, burglary, and robbery have all decreased in California. Burglary rate decreased 18.8% from 2019 to 2024, the largest decrease of all categories. During that same time period, property crime rate decreased 9.1%, arson rate decreased 8.7%, and robbery rate decreased 9.6%.
Stronger enforcement. Serious penalties. Real consequences.
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.
California has invested $1.7 billion since 2019 to fight crime, help local governments hire more police, and improve public safety. In 2023, as part of California’s Public Safety Plan, the Governor announced the largest-ever investment to combat organized retail crime in state history, an annual 310% increase in proactive operations targeting organized retail crime, and special operations across the state to fight crime and improve public safety.
Last August, Governor Newsom signed into law the most significant bipartisan legislation to crack down on property crime in modern California history. Building on the state’s robust laws and record public safety funding, these bipartisan bills offer new tools to bolster ongoing efforts to hold criminals accountable for smash-and-grab robberies, property crime, retail theft, and auto burglaries. While California’s crime rate remains at near historic lows, these laws help California adapt to evolving criminal tactics to ensure perpetrators are effectively held accountable.
As part of the state’s largest-ever investment to combat organized retail crime, Governor Newsom announced last year the state distributed $267 million to 55 communities to help local communities combat organized retail crime. These funds have enabled cities and counties to hire more police, make more arrests, and secure more felony charges against suspects.
Saturating key areas
Working collaboratively to heighten public safety, the Governor tasked the California Highway Patrol to work with local law enforcement to saturate high-crime areas, aiming to reduce roadway violence and criminal activity in the area, specifically vehicle theft and organized retail crime. Since the inception of this regional initiative, there have been over 7,300 arrests, more than 5,000 stolen vehicles recovered and over 350 firearms confiscated across Bakersfield, San Bernardino and Oakland.
Source: Office of the Governor
