Santa Cruz Sees Uptick In Robbery; Overall Crime Rate Stays Same

SANTA CRUZ, CA — Santa Cruz's 2019 crime rate was close to that of 2018, but the city saw an increase in robbery reports and decreases in car theft and rape reports.

Nearly six in 1,000 residents fell victim to violent crime such as assault, rape or robbery last year, while 44 in 1,000 residents were victims of property crimes such as burglary, car theft or larceny, according to the Santa Cruz Police Department.

The number of robberies increased from 66 in 2018 to 89 in 2019, a 35 percent increase, police say.

Both auto theft and rape report numbers dropped 15 percent from 2018 to 2019. Auto thefts decreased from 261 in 2018 to 221 in 2019. Rape reports decreased from 34 in 2018 to 29 in 2019.

The number of arson reports also dropped from 53 in 2018 to 34 in 2019, a 36 percent decrease.

The statistics were collected as part of the Federal Bureau of Investigations Uniform Crime Reporting effort, which has collected crime stats from local, regional and state law enforcement agencies since 1929.