As we transition from the end of the year into the new year, while some cities in California continue to experience homicides, the widespread retail store robberies that have been occurring frequently for many years seem to be fading away. With more stringent crime laws coming into effect in 2025, concerns about public safety in California are expected to decrease.
Starting from January 1st, the new law AB2943 allows the aggregation of stolen property values from different victims and counties, making it easier for repeat offenders to reach the felony threshold of $950. This law extends the probation period for shoplifting from 1 year to 2 years; it allows law enforcement to arrest suspected shoplifters even without witnessing the crime.
AB2943 also streamlines the prosecution process, where individuals attempting to sell, exchange, or return stolen property valued over $950 can face up to three years of imprisonment.
The new law AB3209 authorizes courts to issue a “Retail Theft Injunction” that can prohibit individuals convicted of retail crimes from entering offending premises for up to two years.
Effective since December 18th, Proposition 36 has introduced stricter penalties for repeat thieves and those involved in fentanyl-related crimes.
In addition, more than ten new laws, including SB1144 and AB1960, have been enacted in California to collectively deter crime. Governor Newsom of California stated in a release, “California already has some of the strictest retail and property crime laws in the nation, and our recent legislation has made them even more robust.”
During the final week of last year, Governor Newsom announced that the California Highway Patrol (CHP) had achieved a record enforcement against organized crime in 2024, arresting over 1,400 suspects statewide and recovering stolen goods worth over $13 million.
California Attorney General Bonta reviewed the past year’s work, emphasizing 1,751 executed arrest warrants aimed at safeguarding California’s public safety. Among these, a leader of an organized retail crime syndicate spanning 21 counties was arrested, involving $8 million worth of beauty products. The press release from Bonta also mentioned collaboration among local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies in eliminating organized street crime to make California a safer place.
According to crime statistics released early last year, California ranks 17th in violent crime rates among all states in the U.S., showing a 6.1% increase in violent crime and a 6.2% increase in property crime compared to 2021. California ranks third in the country for vehicle theft. Domestic violence remains prevalent in California, with approximately 33% of women and 25% of men reporting experiences of domestic abuse.
In specific cities in Northern California such as Emeryville and neighboring Oakland, violent crime is especially pronounced. For instance, Emeryville sees a property crime rate as high as 165.7 incidents per 1,000 residents and a violent crime rate of 2,356 incidents per 100,000 residents.
In the city of Oakland with a population of less than 420,000, 86 homicides were reported last year. Although officials claim a decrease in homicide and crime rates compared to the previous year, multiple homicides occurred on New Year’s Eve, resulting in five fatalities. Some residents expressed concerns about the lack of improvement in public safety and are considering relocating.
In Los Angeles, the largest city in California, violent crime decreased by 10% last year, with homicides decreasing by 27%.
Nationally, violent and homicide crime rates decreased last year. Crime analyst Jeff Asher informed ABC News that according to U.S. law enforcement data, in 2024 national homicides decreased by nearly 16% compared to the previous year, property crime decreased by 8.6%, motor vehicle theft rates decreased by 21.4%, rape decreased by 4.5%, robbery decreased by 1.1%, and aggravated assault decreased by 3.7%.