Crime & Safety
Santa Cruz Crime is Worst in the County
Check the comparison to other county cities here.
Property crimes in Santa Cruz took a big bite in 2012, according to recent FBI statistics for the year. There were 59 cases of theft or burglary for every 1,000 people in the city of 61,000 people.
There were three murders in the city; 433 violent crimes; 34 rapes; 83 robberies; 313 assaults; and 3,585 property crimes.
For comparison in 2012 Watsonville had a violent crime rate of 4.8 known offenses per 1,000 residents. Santa Cruz reported a higher violent crime rate: 7.1. Capitola's violent crime rate was similar to Watsonville's, at 4.6 known offenses per 1,000 people.
The FBI releases annual reports here every year. See current Santa Cruz crimes here.
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