San Diego Reports Highest Violent Crime Rate in a Decade

Violent crime in San Diego County increased by 2 percent last year, according to a report released on May 9 by the San Diego Association of Governments.

The 2022 analysis compared data to 2021 and found the rate of such crimes was the highest in a decade.

Arson rose by 20 percent, robberies increased by 10 percent, violence against seniors rose by 8 percent, and motor vehicle thefts increased by 2 percent, according to the report.

Although the report found a 9 percent decrease in homicides, the motives behind such have been less random, according to the report, with 51 percent due to an argument and 15 percent identified as gang-related.

Sixty percent of homicides were carried out with guns and 59 percent of victims knew their killers, according to the report.

“Despite the increase, the surge in violent crime was relatively low compared to other metropolitan cities in the U.S. The San Diego region is still among the safest in the country,” said the agency’s Principal Criminal Justice Researcher Dr. Octavio Rodriguez Ferreira in a May 9 press release announcing the report.

The study also included statistics from the county’s individual cities.

The city of San Diego saw an 18 percent increase in robberies, a three percent increase in motor vehicle theft, and a one percent increase in aggravated assault, the report found.

Escondido experienced the most dramatic rise in crime, with burglaries up 26 percent and rape rising by 25 percent between 2021 and 2022.

Property crimes rose the most in Vista, according to the analysis, with a 27 percent increase in burglaries, 15 percent increase in motor vehicle thefts, and 14 percent increase in larceny.

Unincorporated areas of the county saw a decrease in property crimes, but an 11 percent increase in rape and aggravated assault, according to the report.

Data in the report were gathered from statistics reported by local law enforcement and the Uniform Crime Reporting program, an international program that compiles crime data across the U.S.

The association of governments is a metropolitan planning organization and council of local decision makers who determine solutions for the region’s issues such as housing, transportation, economy, and the environment, and has been reporting on crime annually since 1980.