The San Diego Police Department has released crime statistics for 2024, showing an overall decrease in crime for the third consecutive year, keeping San Diego one of the safest big cities in America.

Overall crime citywide in San Diego decreased 1.5% in 2024 (after a 2.7% reduction in 2023). Data show a decrease in over 70% of all the crimes tabulated. Crimes against persons decreased by 1.1%, and crimes against property decreased by 4.7%.

Mayor Todd Gloria and Police Chief Scott Wahl attribute the drop in crime to three things: outstanding police work, strong community partnerships and an innovative use of technology.

“For the third year in a row, we’ve seen crime go down – an achievement that reflects the dedication of our officers, the strength of our community partnerships, and the strategic use of technology,” said Chief Wahl. “To the men and women of this Police Department, I am so proud of the work you do every day. To our communities, we will never stop working to make our neighborhoods safer. And to those considering doing harm in our city, let me be clear: criminal behavior will not be tolerated in San Diego.”

Significant data highlighted in this year’s report includes:

• Murders decreased by 22.2%. Of the 35 murder cases, three were confirmed to be associated with gang activity and five were associated with family/domestic violence.
• Sexual assault decreased 10.9% in 2024 (continuing the downward trend seen in 2023 of 16.2%).
• Non-fatal shootings decreased by 57 cases, a 32% decrease compared to 2023.
• The violent crime rate of 4.3 per thousand residents is one of the lowest of major cities in the nation.
• Motor vehicle thefts declined by 19.5 percent, a statistic that likely stems from our use of Smart Streetlight cameras and automated license plate reader technology.
• Hate crime reports have decreased from 66 cases in 2023, to 60 in 2024, a 9% reduction.
  • Bias against sexual orientation accounted for 40% of hate crimes in 2024
  • Racial bias accounted for 37% of hate crimes in 2024.
  • Bias against a religion accounted for 13% of hate crimes in 2024.
• Crimes committed by gang members decreased 11%, and the number of documented gang members decreased by 31%.

Crime statistics for San Diego are collected based on FBI National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS) guidelines.

NIBRS crimes include crimes against persons, property, and society. The United States Department of Justice collects information on these crime types from law enforcement agencies throughout the United States and uses the data to measure crime nationwide.

It’s important to note that increases in crimes against society often correlate with heightened enforcement efforts, not necessarily an increase in criminal behavior.

To review monthly 911 reports, learn more about crime statistics and crime area mapping, visit the San Diego Police Department’s Data and Transparency webpage.