2007 Crime Statistics
Serious “Part I” crimes in Santa Monica were down 5.1 percent in 2007 as compared to 2006, according to Lt. Alex Padilla, spokesman for the Santa Monica Police Department. The SMPD has released the annual statistics, which numbers are reported each year to the California Department of Justice, which forwards the figures to the FBI to be included in its national Uniform Crime Report. “Part I” crime is a federal designation that refers to eight serious crimes most likely to be reported and most likely to occur with sufficient frequency to provide an adequate basis for comparison.
The 2007 figures by category (with 2006 figures in parentheses) are as follows:
Crimes Against Persons 20072006
Homicide: 3 (2)
Rape: 30 (26)
Robbery: 236 (256)
Aggravated Assault: 328 (306)
Crimes Against Property
Burglary: 683 (733)
Larceny (Theft): 2,099 (2,187)
Auto Theft: 327 (394)
Arson: 16 (13)
The total of 3,722 Part I crimes for 2007 is the lowest since 1956. Figures for selected years since then show:
1957 3,929
1967 6,367
1977 8,730
1987 8,811
1997 6,406
The most recent national figures available are preliminary semiannual figures for the first six months of 2007, compiled by the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services Division. Comparing January through June 2007 with the same period in 2006, those figures show Part I crimes against persons down 1.8 percent and Part I crimes against property down 2.6 percent.
Limiting that six-month comparison to cities with a population of 50,000 to 99,999, the national figures show Part I crimes against persons down 0.7 percent and Part I crimes against property down 4.0 percent. Looking at the figures on a regional basis, the figures for the West (as opposed to the Northeast, Midwest, or South) show Part I crimes against persons down 1.6 percent and Part I crimes against property down 4.1 percent. The published FBI data does not show comparisons for total Part I crimes.
These numbers represent only reported crimes and do not include unreported crimes. They also exclude some serious crimes against persons (such as kidnapping, which occurs infrequently) and some serious crimes against property (such as embezzlement, which is often not brought to the attention of the police).
