Crime in Watsonville, California

Property crime

The vast majority of crimes in America are property crimes, accounting for 85% of total crimes in 2019. In Watsonville, however, property crimes account for only about 75% of all offenses.

Property crime is less prevalent in Watsonville than it is nationwide. There were 971 property crimes in Watsonville in 2019, or 1,790 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 Watsonville. There were 589 larcenies reported in Watsonville in 2019, or 1,086 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the larceny rate is 1,550 per 100,000.

Burglary

There were 148 break-ins reported in Watsonville in 2019, or 273 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 Watsonville, meanwhile, there were 234 motor vehicle thefts in 2019, or 431 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 Watsonville, however, violent offenses account for a larger 25% share of all reported crime.

At 605 incidents for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate in Watsonville is well above the national violent crime rate of 379 offenses per 100,000 people. Law enforcement in Watsonville reported a total of 328 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 Watsonville. There were 237 aggravated assaults reported in Watsonville in 2019, or 437 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 53 robberies reported in Watsonville in 2019, a rate of 98 robberies for every 100,000 residents. For comparison, the national robbery rate was 82 per 100,000 in 2019.

Rape

There were 37 rapes reported in Watsonville in 2019, or 68 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, there were 139,815 rapes in 2019, a rate of 43 per 100,000 people.

Murder

There was one homicide reported in the city in 2019. Adjusted for population, the murder rate in Watsonville is 1.8 for every 100,000 people, considerably lower than the national murder rate of 5 per 100,000 people.