blog post Testimony: Retail Theft in California By Magnus Lofstrom Jan 25, 2024 At a hearing of the Little Hoover Commission, PPIC policy director and senior fellow Magnus Lofstrom discussed trends in shoplifting and commercial burglary, including geographic variation across the state.
Fact Sheet Arrests in California By Magnus Lofstrom, Brandon Martin, Andrew Skelton Jan 8, 2024 California’s overall arrest rate was historically low in 2022, but the felony arrest rate rose slightly for the first time since 2013. Arrest rates vary widely across counties.
Fact Sheet Law Enforcement Staffing in California By Brandon Martin, Magnus Lofstrom, Andrew Skelton Jan 8, 2024 Law enforcement is funded largely at the local level, and almost half of California’s law enforcement officers work for municipal police departments. Staffing levels continued to drop in 2022, though losses vary across agencies.
Fact Sheet California’s County Jails By Magnus Lofstrom, Brandon Martin, Andrew Skelton Jan 8, 2024 The statewide jail population is significantly lower than it was before the pandemic. The population is largely male and being held for felonies.
blog post Testimony: Crime Data on Retail Theft and Robberies in California By Magnus Lofstrom Jan 4, 2024 At the inaugural hearing of the Assembly Select Committee on Retail Theft, PPIC policy director and senior fellow Magnus Lofstrom discussed trends in shoplifting and other offenses, including variations across the state.
blog post 2023 Year in Review By Tani Cantil-Sakauye Dec 14, 2023 President and CEO Tani Cantil-Sakauye reflects on how PPIC has contributed to the policy conversation this past year and highlights the importance of nonpartisan, actionable research in addressing key challenges facing our state.
blog post California’s Violent Crime Rate Is Diverging from the National Trend By Magnus Lofstrom Nov 1, 2023 In the decade preceding the COVID-19 pandemic, California's violent crime rate roughly mirrored the nationwide trend. But as of 2022, California's violent crime rate is nearly one-third higher than the US rate, a divergence driven largely by aggravated assaults.
blog post County Jails House Fewer Inmates, but Over Half Face Mental Health Issues By Magnus Lofstrom, Brandon Martin Oct 25, 2023 While the number of people in California's county jails has declined markedly over the last decade, the share of inmates with mental health needs has grown to more than half of the total jail population.
Fact Sheet Crime Trends in California By Magnus Lofstrom, Brandon Martin Oct 17, 2023 Violent crime in California has ticked up in recent years, with a pronounced increase in incidents involving guns since 2019. Property crime has also risen steadily statewide, and rates now stand slightly above pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
event Are Younger Generations Committing Less Crime? Oct 5, 2023 Historically, crime rates peak for those in their late teens and early 20s, but recent trends raise questions about whether this pattern is shifting. PPIC researcher Magnus Lofstrom will outline findings from a new report examining whether more recent generations in California are less criminally active than previous generations—or if drops in crime have occurred across all age groups. He will also discuss the broader implications of these trends for the criminal justice system.