Crime in Santa Monica, California

Property crime

The vast majority of crimes in America are property crimes, accounting for 85% of total crimes in 2019. In Santa Monica, property crimes account for about 86% of all offenses.

Property crime is much more prevalent in Santa Monica than it is nationwide. There were 3,964 property crimes in Santa Monica in 2019, or 4,327 for every 100,000 residents. Meanwhile, the national property crime rate is 2,110 incidents per 100,000 people.

Larceny

Larceny is by far the most common type of property crime in the U.S. It is also the most commonly committed type of property crime in Santa Monica. There were 3,143 larcenies reported in Santa Monica in 2019, or 3,430 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the larceny rate is 1,550 per 100,000.

Burglary

There were 577 break-ins reported in Santa Monica in 2019, or 630 for every 100,000 residents. For reference, there were 341 reported burglaries for every 100,000 people nationwide in 2019.

Motor Vehicle Theft

Across the United States, the annual motor vehicle theft rate is 220 for every 100,000 people. In Santa Monica, meanwhile, there were 244 motor vehicle thefts in 2019, or 266 for every 100,000 people.

Violent crime

Violent crime accounts for a relatively small share of crimes nationwide. These offenses, which are generally more egregious than property crimes, account for about 15% of the nearly 8.2 million offenses reported across the U.S. in 2019. In Santa Monica, however, violent offenses account for a smaller 14% share of all reported crime.

At 725 incidents for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate in Santa Monica is well above the national violent crime rate of 379 offenses per 100,000 people. Law enforcement in Santa Monica reported a total of 664 violent crimes in 2019.

Aggravated Assault

Aggravated assault is by far the most common type of violent crime reported in the U.S. It is also the most commonly reported violent offense in Santa Monica. There were 374 aggravated assaults reported in Santa Monica in 2019, or 408 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the rate is far lower, standing at 250 aggravated assaults per 100,000 people.

Robbery

Robbery is the second most common type of violent crime in America. There were 247 robberies reported in Santa Monica in 2019, a rate of 270 robberies for every 100,000 residents. For comparison, the national robbery rate was 82 per 100,000 in 2019.

Rape

There were 40 rapes reported in Santa Monica in 2019, or 44 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, there were 139,815 rapes in 2019, a rate of 43 per 100,000 people.

Murder

There were 3 homicides committed in the city in 2019. Adjusted for population, the murder rate in Santa Monica is 3.3 murders for every 100,000 people, lower than the national murder rate of 5 per 100,000 people.