While California Gov. Gavin Newsom touted a FBI-reported national decline in violent crime for 2023, the same report shows violent crime in California is up 3.6%, and the value of cars stolen in California was over $2 billion last year. Aside from rising motor vehicle theft, reported property theft overall declined 2.6%.
“NEW: Violent crime DROPPED across America last year,” said Newsom on X. “Can’t wait to see the Fox News coverage of this.
The 3.6% annual increase in violent crime was largely driven by increases in robberies and assaults outpacing declines in homicides and rapes, while motor vehicle theft increased 6.7%. While 183,629 cars were stolen in California in 2022, 195,875 were stolen in 2023, pushing the value of stolen vehicles past $2 billion, up from $1.7 billion in 2022. Only around $1 billion of stolen vehicles, or about half, was ever recovered.
A large portion of the increase in violent crime has been driven by the doubling of violent crime in Alameda County, which includes Oakland. In February, Newsom offered to deploy California National Guard and Department of Justice attorneys to expand criminal prosecution, and later publicly shared Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price’s months of delays in accepting the offered aid.
