Crime rates have decreased in this California city, thanks to additional police officers, says the Police Chief.

Crime Rates Drop in Fresno, California

Residents of Fresno, California are experiencing a significant decrease in crime across multiple categories, and the police chief believes he has the answer.

According to Fresno police data, the city has witnessed a dramatic drop in crime rates this year. Murders have decreased by 44%, from 34 to 19, between January 1 and July 11 compared to the same period last year.

Furthermore, shootings have decreased by 11%, rapes by nearly 20%, robberies by almost 11%, commercial burglaries by nearly 46%, residential burglaries by 29%, and vehicle thefts by nearly 26%, as reported by the police.

“The reason for this decline in crime is simple: staffing,” says Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama.

Currently, Fresno has a record number of police officers in the field. The city council has authorized the police department to have 900 officers, and as of July 7, 860 of those positions were filled.

“There are misconceptions that more cops do not make a safer city, but that is not true,” Balderrama explains. “Since we have added more officers, our crime rate has significantly reduced. We can now focus on specific violent groups, conduct more outreach, and cover more areas. Additionally, more people are calling us and providing valuable information to help solve crimes.”

When Balderrama took over as police chief in January 2021, there were only 632 officers on the force out of the 838 budgeted positions. Moreover, over 100 officers were absent due to illness during the COVID pandemic.

While California as a whole has been grappling with rampant crime in recent years, Fresno’s success in reducing crime stands out. According to Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta’s 2022 crime report, violent crime in California has increased by 6.1% since 2021, property crime by 6.2%, and robberies by 10.2%. However, murders have slightly decreased.

Other cities in California, such as San Francisco and Los Angeles, continue to face challenges with rising homelessness and open-air drug use, which often contribute to increased crime rates.

In San Francisco, overall crime has slightly decreased this year, but certain types of violent crime have increased, according to police data. Murders have risen by 10%, robberies by 15%, and car thefts by 5%.

Meanwhile, San Francisco continues to grapple with homelessness and drug crises, although overdose deaths have decreased from their peak in 2020 during the height of the pandemic.

In 2022, San Francisco witnessed 620 fatal drug overdoses, down from 640 in 2021. However, this is still higher than the 725 overdose deaths recorded in 2020.

Similarly, homelessness in San Francisco has worsened since before the pandemic, with approximately 38,000 people experiencing homelessness in the Bay Area on any given night, a 35% increase since 2019.

In Los Angeles, most types of crimes have decreased, except for theft, which has increased by nearly 15% compared to last year, according to police data. Additionally, the homeless crisis in Los Angeles has increased by 10%.

Many cities in California experienced a surge in violent crime during the pandemic before witnessing a decline once again.

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases