Crime reported in the city of San Diego dropped by 1.5% last year, marking the third year in row in which the overall crime numbers have decreased, according to figures released Tuesday by the San Diego Police Department.
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl lauded the decrease in a statement as “an achievement that reflects the dedication of our officers, the strength of our community partnerships, and the strategic use of technology.”
The dip in overall crime in 2024 comes after a 2.7% decrease in 2023 and a 7.5% decrease in 2022.
The decrease was led by a 4.7% dip in property crimes. Vehicle thefts decreased by nearly 20%, while robberies and thefts from vehicles both decreased by more than 10%.
Crimes against persons, including homicides and assaults, decreased by 1.1% overall. The city saw 46 homicides in 2024 compared to 59 the year before, and 714 sexual assaults compared to 801 the year prior.
Aggravated assaults remained mostly flat, dropping 1% year over year.
The department said hate crime reports dipped by 9%.
Despite the overall decrease, last year saw some increases in crimes, including an 11.7% spike in larcenies and an increase in kidnappings/abductions, from 222 in 2023 to 260 in 2024.
Additionally, crimes against society, which include drug offenses, loitering and vagrancy, increased by 8.2%. The uptick was driven almost exclusively by drug violations, which rose nearly 20% from 5,880 in 2023 to 7,043 in 2024.
In a statement, the department noted “that increases in crimes against society often correlate with heightened enforcement efforts, not necessarily an increase in criminal behavior.”
The release comes as Mayor Todd Gloria in his draft budget for 2025-2026, which looks to close a projected $258 million deficit, proposes closing the department’s Northwestern Division station in Carmel Valley.
Wahl said the move would not affect the number of officers patrolling the area.
In a t press conference with Wahl held Tuesday morning, Gloria touted the numbers.
“My No. 1 job as mayor is to keep the public safe,” he said. “Even in an era of austerity, ensuring that our officers have the resources they need to protect the public and fight crime is absolutely paramount.”
“(In) the draft budget that is currently being reviewed by the City Council and was released last week, we have found operational efficiencies that will enable us to keep more officers on patrol in the year ahead,” he added.
