California homicide rate increased by 27%

Sacramento CA

Description

From 2019 to 2020, Gov. Gavin Newsom presided over the largest yearly increase in homicides in California in 30 years. According to preliminary death certificate data published by the California Department of Public Health, there were 2,300 homicides in California, a 27% increase – the largest year-over-year increase the state has seen in 30 years. Primarily Black and Hispanic men between the ages of 15 and 34 were the majority of homicide victims, according to the data. In 2020, there were 5.8 homicides per 100,000 residents, the highest rate California has seen since 2008 From 2019 to 2020, Black homicides increased by 36%, Hispanic homicides by 30%, Caucasian homicides by 15%, and Asian homicides by 10%. The majority of victims were between the ages of 15 and 34 years old, accounting for a 31% increase. In 2019, 900 people in this age category were homicide victims compared to 1,175 in 2020. Men were five times as likely to be murdered than women. However, both genders saw increases: male victims increased by 30% in 2020, female victims increased by 14%. Among California’s 10 most populous counties, the sharpest increases were reported in Alameda County (57%), followed by Fresno (44%), Sacramento (36%) and Los Angeles (32%).