SAN DIEGO — Overall crime in San Diego dropped by nearly three percent in 2023, according to newly released numbers from the San Diego Police Department.
In a March 25 report, police say San Diego's violent crime rate dropped to 4.4 per thousand residents, which according to police is "one of the lowest of major cities in the nation."
Among the crimes to see the largest year-over-year drop include:
- Sexual assault - from 868 to 727 in 2023
- Simple Assault - from 7210 to 6979 in 2023
- Burglary - from 3353 to 2816 in 2023
- Weapons violations - decreased from 1104 to 981 last year
Meanwhile, the report shows an increase in several other crimes, most notably calls for drug violations and vehicle thefts.
- Narcotics violations - from 5317 to 5839 last year
- Vehicle thefts - 6442 to 6658 in 2023
- Larceny - increased from 9799 to 10,309 last year
- Aggravated assault - 4252 to 4490 last year
- Hate crimes - 38 cases reported in 2022 compared to 66 reports last year
Outgoing San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit credits the department and its officers for the drop in the city's crime rate.
"The men and women of the San Diego Police Department put on their uniforms every day with one goal in mind: keeping our communities safe,” Police Chief Nisleit said. “This is proven by the fact that San Diego remains one of the safest big cities in the nation year-over-year, despite continued staffing shortages. This is a testament to proactive police work to prevent crimes from happening and investigative tools that help us hold criminals accountable.”