Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office releases 2019 crime stats
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. - The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office released the 2019 crime statistics for the communities they serve on Wednesday.
The overall crime rate in Santa Barbara County rose 1.6% in 2019, driven by a 3.8% rise in property crimes. The overall crime rate is higher than in 2018, but still 15 percent lower than the previous ten-year average. The largest jump in property crimes comes from an increase in thefts.
The county did see an overall drop in violent crimes from the previous year. Violent crimes dropped 6.4% in 2019. Among violent crimes to see a decline, rapes declined 50% from 2018.
Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown credits the continuing decline of crime in the County to collaboration between local law enforcement and the criminal justice system.
“Within Santa Barbara County, our law enforcement, prosecutors, public defenders and the courts are all working together to improve public safety within our communities.” Brown said in a news release. “We are continuing our work to reduce criminal recidivism by offering important rehabilitative programming to inmates in our jail. Our efforts are also greatly enhanced through collaboration with other county departments and many community-based organizations.”
The sheriff's office serves unincorporated areas of the county, as well as the cities and communities of Buellton, Carpinteria, Goleta and Solvang.
Individual crime stats are below:
- Unincorporated areas overall: 1% increase
- 1% increase in violent crime
- 1% increase in property crime
- Buellton: No change in overall crime
- No change in violent crime
- No change in property crime
- Carpinteria: 27% overall decline
- 48% decline in violent crime
- 25% decline in property crime
- Goleta: 16% overall increase
- 25% decline in violent crime
- 21% increase in property crime
- Solvang: 18% overall increase
- 25% increase in violent crime (based on low numbers, only 2 additional crimes reported)
- 17% increase in property crime
For a complete, details breakdown of crime in the areas served by the sheriff's department, click here.