In a city dogged for years by crime, a Stocktonia analysis of police data from the first nine months of 2024 shows a strong decline in several areas, including robberies and car thefts.
Overall reported crimes dropped 11.6% in the first three-quarters of the year compared to the same span last year, according to Stockton Police Department statistics.
While the number of homicides in the city has gone unchanged — 39 — the number of reported rapes from Jan. 1 through Sept. 30 has fallen 13.8%, and robberies are down 17.6% during the same months in 2023.
Also taking big dips were larceny/theft and arson, both dropping by 21.1%, police data shows. Auto thefts are down 14.2%, and burglaries have edged lower by 0.1%.
The one crime area that showed an increase was aggravated assault, which inched up 0.1%.
The categories reported by the department are the FBI’s “Part I Offenses,” the most serious crimes.
| Crimes | Total in 2024, Jan. 1-Sept. 30 | % change from same span in 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Homicide | 39 | 0% |
| Rape | 56 | -13.8% |
| Robbery | 837 | -17.6% |
| Aggravated assault | 1,883 | +0.1% |
| Burglary | 1,512 | -0.1% |
| Larceny/theft | 3,463 | -21.1% |
| Auto theft | 1,531 | -14.2% |
| Arson | 112 | -21.1% |
| Total | 9,433 | -11.6% |
Not only did the nine-month crime statistics show an improvement over the same period last year, they also represent an overall 5.5% reduction compared to the same period in 2022.
City Manager Harry Black credited Police Chief Stanley McFadden for leadership that has modernized the department, putting an emphasis on performance management and data analytics.
“We have a new chief who has been working to retool the department,” Black said in an interview Wednesday. And when it comes to crime reduction, “all of us are work together for a common goal.”
Police officials also took pride in the drop and vowed not to become complacent.
“Although crime stats are down overall, the mission does not stop,” Officer David Scott, one of the department’s spokesmen, said in a statement. “We will continue to provide the best public safety service to the community.”
Stockton police detectives solve 57% of homicide cases, what’s known as the “clearance rate.” And Scott said detectives “will continue to diligently work on the cases that have yet to have an arrest made.”
If the downward trend in overall crimes in the city continues, it could help improve the San Joaquin Valley’s reputation as being one of the most dangerous places in the state.
One study of 2023 crime rates by the Public Policy Institute of California found that the valley had the highest rate of violent crime in the state. It also indicated that San Joaquin County was one of six of the 15 largest in California in which property crime had increased between 2023 and 2022.
“Stockton maybe in the past suffered from a crime problem, and some of that perception lingers,” Black said.
Now, however, with fewer reported property crimes in the county, authorities are touting some of their crime-combating initiatives. Scott said one reason for the drop in thefts has been the Police Department’s cooperation with Stockton businesses, both in the north and south parts of the city.
They have been “a positive contributing factor to theft and retail theft declining,” Scott said.
Theft reduction has also been helped by programs like Fast STAART, short for Stockton Takes Action Against Retail Theft, which includes a billboard campaign to let perpetrators know they will be prosecuted.
The program, a joint effort by the district attorney’s office and the Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce, allows retailers to apply for grants to install video cameras in an effort to deter theft. Eligible small businesses are required to have a certificate of liability insurance for the business location, which must be in San Joaquin County, and fewer than 500 employees. The shops must be experiencing security concerns, such as theft or vandalism, which cameras may help mitigate.
Overall, Stockton police are pleased with the drop in crime.
“It is a positive feeling to the community whenever crime stats are down,” Scott said. “Our officers come to work every day with a goal to serve and protect the Stockton community.”