San Diego's post-pandemic crime surge is receding
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Violent crime in San Diego during the first six months of 2024 is down from a year earlier, reaching its lowest level since a post-pandemic spike in 2021.
Why it matters: The drop mirrors a national trend and underscores existing evidence that the COVID-era crime wave is receding.
By the numbers: The 18 homicides in San Diego in the first six months of this year represent a 47% fall from the same period a year ago, per data from the Major Cities Chiefs Association.
- That was the biggest decline among categories of violent crime, with rapes falling by 17.5%, robbery by 5.7% and aggravated assault by 1.2%.
Context: Overall instances of violent crime in San Diego are still above 2019's pre-pandemic level, which can be blamed entirely on an increase in aggravated assaults.
- Rape fell 42% and robbery by 16.3%, but aggravated assault increased by 30% in the first half of this year compared to the same period in 2019.
- There has been one fewer homicide.
What he's saying: "New crime statistics are out and San Diego remains one of America's safest big cities," Mayor Todd Gloria wrote on X.
Case in point: From January through June, San Diego experienced 1.3 homicides per 100,000 people — by far the lowest of the country's 10 largest cities, excluding New York, which was not included in the report.
- That's compared to Los Angeles (4.1), Chicago (10.2), Houston (6.4) and Phoenix (4.0).
Zoom out: Overall, homicide fell by 13% from the same period last year in the 66 U.S. cities included in the Major Cities Chiefs Association report.
- Boston (-80%), Philadelphia (-70%) and Baltimore (-45%) also experienced notable declines.
- But some Western cities experienced surges in homicides, like Portland (278%), Seattle (59%) and Las Vegas (55%)
- Among California cities, murders were flat in Los Angeles and Sacramento; down in San Francisco, Fresno and Oakland; but up in Long Beach and San Jose.