Violent Crime in State Drops Again, Is Down 26% in 4 Years, Report Shows

SAN DIEGO — State Atty. Gen. Dan Lungren released the latest California crime figures Monday at the annual conference of the California State Sheriffs Assn. here.

Violent crime dropped 7.9% and six overall categories of crime--homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and vehicle theft--fell 6.9% in California’s 58 counties last year, said Lungren, the Republican nominee for governor.

“Every one of us has a neighbor, a work colleague, a friend, a loved one or a family member who is not a victim of crime due to the fact that we’ve had nearly 800,000 less crimes committed in California in the last four years.”

Last year, homicide dropped 13.3%; rape fell 2.2%; robbery dropped 15%; aggravated assault dropped 4.2%, burglary dropped 5.8%, and vehicle theft dropped 7.3%.

California’s violent crime rate has fallen 26.2% in the past four years, with nearly a 30% decrease in all categories. Lungren credited the state’s “three strikes” law, which mandates 25 years to life for those convicted of a third violent felony.

Community policing efforts--pairing citizens with law enforcement agencies for community patrols--also have helped, he said. Statistics show the change can’t be dismissed simply because of an improved economy, he said.