California’s Crime Rates Challenge Newsom’s Narrative

Clear Facts

• California Governor Gavin Newsom criticized Republican states for higher murder rates, but California ranks high in overall violent crime.
• Crime expert Steve Smith highlighted that most states have lower felony crime rates than California, which ranks among the top 15 for felony rates.
• Despite Newsom’s claims, California’s violent crime rate in 2023 was higher than that of Oklahoma and Alabama, according to FBI data.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has recently targeted Republican states over their murder rates, but a closer look at the data reveals a more complex picture of crime across the country. While Newsom pointed fingers at Alabama, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri, asserting their murder rates surpass California’s, statistics indicate that California ranks higher in overall violent crime compared to most states.

Steve Smith, a crime expert from the Pacific Research Institute, criticized Newsom’s narrative, stating, “Most states have lower overall felony crime rates than California.” A study by the Paper Prisons Initiative in 2020 placed California’s felony rate among the top 15 in the nation.

The governor’s comments came after Republican lawmakers criticized him over the anti-deportation riots in Los Angeles. These riots, which erupted against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, led to widespread chaos, including vandalism, assaults on law enforcement, and arson. The unrest quickly spread to other Democrat-led cities after beginning in Los Angeles on June 6.

Even Newsom’s claims about violent crime were met with skepticism. Reports acknowledged that California’s violent crime rate ranked sixth in the country in 2023, surpassing that of Oklahoma and Alabama, according to FBI data.

A Newsom spokesperson defended the governor’s position, stating, “The Governor’s point is simple: Republican leaders talk tough on serious crime, but the facts tell a different story. You’re more likely to be murdered, sexually assaulted, or shot in a red state than in California.” The spokesperson also highlighted Newsom’s investment of over $1.1 billion in public safety and law enforcement.

However, Smith pointed to Proposition 47 as a contributing factor to California’s crime issues. Passed in 2014, this measure reduced penalties for crimes like shoplifting and grand theft, leading to a significant underreporting of thefts. “The theft undercount in California was huge due to the fact that crime victims stopped reporting due to Prop 47,” Smith explained. A bipartisan state commission found theft reporting decreased by over 7% from 2010 to 2022, while violent crimes were reportedly on the rise.

Newsom’s focus on statewide statistics overlooks the role of liberal cities as hotbeds for violent crime. According to data from the Rochester Institute of Technology, nine of the ten cities with the highest murder rates in 2024 had Democratic or left-leaning mayors, with two of these cities located in California. This makes California the only state with more than one city in the top ten list.

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