DeSantis Campaign Press Release - Crime in California vs. Florida

California releases an annual crime report entitled "Crime in California." The 2022 report illuminates the worsening crime crisis under Governor Newsom.

Key takeaways:

• Violent crime increased 6.1% (2021-2022)
  • Violent crime rate is highest since 2006.
  • Violent crime is up nearly 12% since 2019.
• Property crime increased 6.2% (2021-2022)
• Robbery increased 10.2% (2021-2022)
• Theft increased 7.7% (2021-2022)
• Aggravated assault increased 24% (2017-2022)
  • Highest since 2003
  • Up 23% in California since 2019 (when Newsom took over).
• Homicides increased 23.9% (2017-2022)

Meanwhile…

• Total Arrest rates are down nearly 4% (2021-2022)
  • Both felony and misdemeanor arrests decreased.
  • Total adult arrests are down 25% since 2019.
  • Total adult arrests for violent offenses are down 11% since 2019.
• Total homicide arrest rates decreased 5.9%
• Total felony drug arrest rates decreased 14.6% (2021-2022)
• Dangerous drug (e.g., synthetic opioids) arrest rates decreased 19.4% (2021-2022)

And then…

• 61.4% of adult felony arrests resulted in a conviction
• Incarceration resulting from property offenses decreased from 2021-2022.
• Probation levels in California are at its lowest point since 1980.

Therefore…

• The number of law enforcement officers assaulted in the line of duty increased 14%

Crime in Florida

Florida releases a similar report to the California report, all from UCR and NIBRS reporting. The most current report is from 2021.

Key takeaways:

• Violent crime decreased 3%.
  • Total violent crime has decreased 6% since 2017.
• Property crime decreased 9.4%.
• Robbery decreased 17.5%.
• Aggravated assault decreased 2%.
• Theft decreased 8.8%.
• Burglary decreased 15%.
• Total crime has decreased by 21% since 2019.

Meanwhile…

• Total arrests decreased by 9.8% (2020-2021)
  • This is because there are penalties in Florida for committing crimes.
  • Unlike California, when crime goes up our arrests go up. When crime goes down, obviously there are fewer bad guys to arrest.
  • It's just the opposite in California. There, crime is rising and arrest rates are plummeting.

The Bottom Line

• Crime rates in California have INCREASED on Newsom's watch.
• Crime rates in Florida have DECREASED on DeSantis' watch.
  • Crime in Florida is at a 50 year low in 2021.
• Newsom has managed to preside over a crime increase while arrests in California continue to fall.
• On Newsom's watch, less people are being arrested, less people are being prosecuted, less people are being incarcerated, less people are being placed on probation…while more people and businesses are becoming victims.
• California routinely has three cities with the highest crime rates in the nation (Stockton, Oakland, San Bernardino). None of the top 20 cities with the highest crime rate are in Florida.