Crime in California refers to crime occurring within the U.S. state of California. The principal source of law for California criminal procedure is the California Penal Code.
California has a lower murder rate than the US average.Map Shows Which States Have the Highest Murder Rates, Aug 21, 2024, Newsweek
State statistics In 2019, there were 1,096,668 crimes reported in California including 1,679 murders, 14,720 rapes and 915,197 property crimes. In 2019, there were 1,012,441 arrests of adults and 43,181 arrests of juveniles in California.
In 2014, 1,697 people were victims of homicides. 30% of homicides were gang-related, 28% were due to an unspecified argument, 9% were domestic, and 7% were robbery related. The rest were unknown. In 2017 the violent crime rate in California rose 1.5% and was 14th highest of the 50 states.
Number of crimes per 100,000 persons in 2004 (crime rates)Violent crime ratesProperty crime ratesTotalRankPopulationViolent crimeHomicideRapeRobberySerious assaultProperty crimeBurglaryLarcenyMotor vehicle theft35,893,799551.86.726.8172.1346.33,419.0685.12,030.1703.811,970.826
By year This table uses data from the Uniform Crime Report until 2019. Starting in 2020 it uses data from the FBI Crime Data Explorer as the UCR data is no longer published and a switchover has been done. YearPopulation Index Violent Property Murder RapeRobbery Aggravated assault Burglary Larcenytheft Vehicletheft 1960 15,717,204546,069 37,558508,511616 2,859 18,796 18,796 143,102311,95653,453196518,602,000803,48752,490750,9978803,94821,08126,581225,007444,21781,773 1970 19,953,1341,264,85494,7411,170,113 1,376 7,005 45,083 45,083 349,788682,811137,514197521,185,0001,526,293138,8421,387,4512,2098,80759,82767,999469,726784,639133,086197621,520,0001,556,757144,0411,412,7162,2209,61459,31872,889467,980806,086138,650197721,896,0001,534,621154,5821,380,0392,51510,82562,85278,390468,452766,317145,270197822,294,0001,586,483165,6261,420,8572,61111,31668,23583,464488,966777,783154,108197922,696,0001,695,108184,0871,511,0212,95212,23975,76793,129496,310847,148167,563 1980 23,532,6801,264,854210,2901,633,042 3,411 13,693 102,766 102,766 545,138913,070174,834198124,159,0001,833,787208,4851,625,3023,14313,56693,78197,995540,806921,939162,557198224,724,0001,801,256201,4291,599,8272,77912,52991,98894,133499,466935,831164,530198325,174,0001,680,978194,4911,486,4872,63912,09385,82693,933460,460867,123158,904198425,622,0001,657,320195,5891,461,7312,71711,70283,92497,246443,094857,328161,309198526,365,0001,718,473201,7631,516,7102,77011,42186,387101,185448,506890,967177,237198626,981,0001,824,669248,3701,576,2993,03812,11992,512140,701457,698913,004205,597198727,663,0001,799,871253,9431,545,9282,92412,10983,341155,569419,969896,335229,624198828,168,0001,869,092261,9121,607,1802,93611,78086,141161,055407,631933,636265,913198929,063,0001,965,652284,1361,681,5163,15811,96696,431172,581410,468972,603298,445 1990 29,760,0211,965,237 311,0511,654,186 3,553 12,688182,602 182,602 400,392951,580302,214199130,380,0002,057,513331,1221,726,3913,85912,896124,939189,428424,656986,120315,615199230,867,0002,061,761345,6241,716,1373,92112,761130,897198,045427,491968,534320,112199331,211,0002,015,265336,3811,678,8844,09611,766126,436194,083414,182945,407319,295199431,431,0001,940,497318,3951,622,1023,70310,984112,160191,548384,257929,640308,205199531,589,0001,841,984305,1541,536,8303,53110,554104,611186,458353,895902,456280,479199631,878,0001,660,131274,9961,385,1352,91610,24494,222167,614312,212830,457242,466199732,268,0001,569,949257,5821,312,3672,57910,18981,468163,346299,240784,405228,722199832,667,0001,418,674229,8831,188,7912,1719,78268,782149,148269,012724,262195,517199933,145,1211,261,164207,8791,053,2852,0059,36360,039136,472223,814660,991168,480 2000 33,871,6481,266,714 210,531 1,056,1832,0799,785 60,249138,418 222,293651,855182,035200134,600,4631,347,056 212,8671,134,1892,2069,96064,614136,087232,273697,739204,177200235,001,9861,384,872208,3881,176,4842,39510,19864,968130,827238,428715,692 222,364200335,462,7121,420,637205,5511,215,0862,4079,99463,770129,380242,272731,486241,326200435,842,0381,416,369 189,1751,227,1942,3929,61561,768115,400245,903728,687252,604200536,154,1471,390,710190,1781,200,5322,5039,39263,622114,661250,521692,467257,543200636,457,5491,350,137194,1201,156,0172,4859,21270,968111,455246,464666,860242,693200736,553,2131,299,685191,025 1,108,6602,2609,01370,542109,210237,025652,243219,392200836,580,3711,265,939185,173 1,080,766 2,142 8,903 69,385 104,743 237,724650,513192,529200936,961,6641,184,367174,9341,009,4331,9728,71364,093100,156230,198615,402163,833201037,338,1981,146,072164,133981,9391,8098,33158,11695,877228,857600,558152,524201137,683,9331,128,765154,943973,8221,7927,66554,29191,195230,075596,905146,842201237,999,8781,210,409160,9441,049,4651,8847,83756,52194,702245,767635,090168,608201338,431,3931,173,646154,7391,018,9071,7467,46453,64089,029232,058621,557165,292201438,792,2911,100,956153,763947,1931,7008,38948,68191,804202,669592,673151,851201538,993,9401,191,797166,8831,024,9141,8619,34152,86299,349197,404656,517170,993201639,250,0171,176,866174,7961,002,0701,93010,14954,789104,375188,304637,010176,756201739,613,0451,173,972178,553986,7691,82914,72456,609105,391176,638641,804168,327201839,825,1811,126,387176,866940,9981,73915,50054,312105,315164,540621,288155,170201939,959,0951,096,668173,205915,1971,67914,72052,050104,756151,596622,869140,73220202,20213,44144,693113,572145,418527,896168,08620213913,0576,73026,23916,022100,57131,83920222,23314,94347,919128,967144,483582,322183,76220231,91414,68149,453135,168134,030567,295198,240
By location
Los Angeles
In 2010, Los Angeles reported 293 homicides.2010 California offenses known to law enforcement FBI. Retrieved August 10, 2012 The 2010 number corresponds to a rate of 7.6 per 100,000 population. Murders in Los Angeles have decreased since the peak year of 1993, when the homicide rate was 21.1 (per 100,000 population).
Legal procedure
As one of the fifty states of the United States, California follows common law criminal procedure. The principal source of law for California criminal procedure is the California Penal Code, Part 2, "Of Criminal Procedure."
Every year in California, approximately 150 thousand violent crimes and 1 million property crimes are committed. With a population of about 40 million people, approximately 1.2 million arrests are made every year in California. The California superior courts hear about 270,000 felony cases, 900,000 misdemeanor cases, and 5 million infraction cases every year. There are currently 130,000 people in state prisons and 70,000 people in county jails. Of these, there are 746 people who have been sentenced to death.These are the 746 inmates awaiting execution on California's death row, Los Angeles Times, Paige St. John & Maloy Moore, August 24, 2017. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
Policing
In 2018, California had 531 state and local law enforcement agencies. Those agencies employed a total of 130,451 staff. Of the total staff, 79,038 were sworn officers (defined as those with general arrest powers).
Police ratio
In 2018, California had 200 police officers per 100,000 residents.
Capital punishment laws
The death penalty (also known as capital punishment) is still legal in California, although Governor Gavin Newsom issued a moratorium on the use on March 13, 2019. The last execution was issued for Clarence Ray Allen on January 17, 2006, through lethal injection.
Organized crime
Organized crime in California involves the criminal activities of organized crime groups, street gangs, criminal extremists, and terrorists in California. Traditional organized crime are in the form of Cosa Nostra (LCN), Sicilian Mafia, and Camorra. Eurasian criminal networks specialize in white-collar crime, fraud, prostitution and human trafficking. Crime cells from Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe impact public safety and the state's economy.
Gangs
Gangs in California are classified into three categories: criminal street gangs, prison gangs, and outlaw motorcycle gangs. Gang operations usually include "assault, auto theft, drive-by shooting, illegal drug and narcotic manufacturing, drug and narcotic trafficking, forgery, fraud, home invasion robbery, identity theft, murder, weapons trafficking, witness intimidation, and violence against law enforcement."
Terrorism Domestic criminal extremists include various racial supremacy groups. International terrorists include Al-Qaeda, Mujahedin-e-Khalq (MEK), and Jamaat ul-Fuqra (JUF).
Notable incidents
1846–73: California genocide—non-Natives killed between 9,492 and 16,094 California Natives 1856–57: The Flores Daniel Gang. Juan Flores—hanged for murder Pancho Daniel—lynched by a citizen mob 1871: Los Angeles Chinese massacre of 1871 1877: San Francisco riot of 1877 1883: Lexington murders 1892: John and Charles Ruggles–hanged for robbing a Wells Fargo stagecoach 1899: J. Ellis Rodley—convicted of perjury; sentenced to 12 years in prison 1905–08: San Francisco graft trials Abe Ruef—the only person convicted as part of the graft trials; pleaded guilty to bribery and sentenced to 14 years in prison 1910: Los Angeles Times bombing 1913: Wheatland hop riot 1917: 1917 Sacramento Governor's Mansion bombing 1923: Japanese mission school fire 1927: Murder of Marion Parker 1937: September 1937 Folsom escape attempt 1940–41: Sacramento Mad Killer 1942: Sleepy Lagoon murder 1943: Zoot Suit Riots 1946: Battle of Alcatraz 1947–56: Battle of Sunset Strip 1947: Black Dahlia murder 1951: Bloody Christmas (1951) 1958: Killing of Johnny Stompanato 1965: 1965 Highway 101 sniper attack Watts riots 1966: Compton's Cafeteria riot Shooting of Leonard Deadwyler Murder of Cheri Jo Bates 1966–67: Sunset Strip curfew riots 1967: Murders of Theodore L. Newton Jr. and George F. Azrak 1968–69: Zodiac Killer murders five known victims 1968: Shooting of William Leonard Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy 1969: Tate–LaBianca murders Killing of Meredith Hunter 1970: Newhall incident Deaths of Guillermo Sanchez and Guillardo Sanchez Marin County Civic Center attacks 1971–83: Randy Kraft sentenced to death for 16 counts of murder; suspected of killing as many as 61 people 1971: 1971 L.A. federal building bombing 1972: United California Bank burglary 1973–74: Zebra murders 1973: Assassination of Marcus Foster 1974: Kidnapping of Patty Hearst Assassination of William Cann 1974 Los Angeles International Airport bombing Murder of Arlis Perry Murder of Betty Van Patter 1975: Assassination attempts of Gerald Ford in Sacramento and in San Francisco 1976: California State University, Fullerton, massacre Gypsy Hill killings 1976 Chowchilla kidnapping Andrew J. Hinshaw—indicted on charges of bribery, embezzlement and misappropriation of public funds while serving as Orange County assessor. Convicted of bribery and sentenced to two concurrent 1‐to‐14 years terms in prison 1977: Kidnapping of Colleen Stan Ventura Strangler Golden Dragon massacre Murder of Mary Quigley 1977–78: Hillside Strangler 1978: Oxnard Klan Riot of 1978 Moscone–Milk assassinations 1978–79: Skid Row Stabber 1979: Cleveland Elementary School shooting (San Diego) White Night riots 1980: Norco shootout Murder of Suzanne Bombardier Death of Susan Louise Jordan 1981: Keddie murders Wonderland murders 1984: Killing of Marvin Gaye Murder of Kirsten Costas San Ysidro McDonald's massacre Killing of Bibi Lee 1985: Murder of Michele Avila Murder of Alex Odeh 1986: Murder of Sherri Rasmussen 1986 San Francisco fireworks disaster Murder of Cara Knott 1986–88: Bribery and Special Interest (BRISPEC) sting operation—led to the conviction and imprisonment of 12 public officials in the California State Legislature. Elected officials convicted were: