The "Homicide in California 2010" (pdf) report showed a significant decrease in the number of murders. Numbers say that homicides declined from 1,970 in 2009 to 1,809 in 2010. Oakland Tribune reports, "Rates of homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault declined across the board over the past decade. Taken together, violent crime decreased by more than 22 percent from 2001 to 2010." However, not too shockingly, most of said murders involved firearms.
Most of the homicides, 71.2 percent, involved the use of a gun, the Tribune goes on to note.
Monterey and Merced ranked highest when it came to killing, with 10 homicides per 100,000 each. Placer County came in the lowest.
Other notable decreases in crime:?
>> In 2010, every violent and property offense category decreased in rate per 100,000 population.
>> From 2009 to 2010, the violent crime rate per 100,000 population decreased 6.9
percent (from 453.6 to 422.3), reaching its lowest level since 1968 (411.1).
>> The 2010 homicide and forcible rape rates are the lowest since 1966 (4.7 and 21.4 per 100,000 population, respectively).
>> The aggravated assault rate has declined steadily since peaking in 1992.
>> The property crime rate decreased 2.7 percent from 2009 to 2010.
>> The 2010 burglary rate of 589.0 per 100,000 population is less than one-half the 1966 rate of 1,225.9.
>> The property crime category with the largest percent decrease in rate from 2009 to 2010 was motor vehicle theft (7.6 percent). Since peaking in 1989, the motor vehicle theft rate has decreased 62 percent.
>> The arson rate per 100,000 population declined 38.9 percent from 2005 to 2010; the rate has declined 83.1 percent since reporting began in 1980
