Elk Grove Crime Rates Follow National Trends, Shows Decline For 2016

February 18, 2017 |  

UPDATED 2/21/17  3 p.m.

Updates highlighted. The burglary numbers for 2015 and 2016 were transposed. The numbers have now been corrected. 

Like the rest of the country, the City of Elk Grove continues to enjoy a decline in its crime rate. Preliminary data to be presented at next Wednesday's City Council meeting shows that in all but one category, Elk Grove experienced decreases from 2015 to 2016.

The categories include larceny, assault, criminal homicide, motor vehicle theft, burglary, robbery, and rape. From 2015 to 2016 all categories decreased expect criminal homicide which was unchanged and rape.

                                      2015      2016

Larceny                        2,294     1,797

Assault                            751        706

Criminal homicide              1            1

Motor vehicle theft          237       208

Burglary                          589        375

Robbery                          105         96

Rape                                33          51

According to Police Chief Bryan Noblett, like many other American cities, Elk Grove experienced an uptick in the number of reported year-over-year rapes. Noblett noted that much of the increase is attributed to a broader definition of the category and more significantly, public awareness campaigns encouraging more reporting by victims.

"First, the national definition and reporting criteria for that crime classification has changed over the past few years to essentially expand the definition of rape pretty dramatically," Noblett said. "Secondly, public awareness through educational campaigns in schools, college campuses, etc. has brought about a needed additional focus on victims coming forward and on timely reporting."   

Source - Calif. Dept. of Justice. 

Additionally, Noblett noted that the number increased not as a result of cases where the predator is unknown, but rather from a known perpetrator. 

"Many of those numbers reflect a single perpetrator having victimized multiple persons within the same family structure," Noblett said. "In those cases, each victim is counted separately.  In our reporting, we had four such cases that accounted for a total of eleven victims, and eleven separately reported crimes in this category."

In recent years, nationally as well as in California, there has been an increased awareness on reporting rapes as well as other legislative actions to aid victims and in identifying suspects. Last year California Assembly Member Jim Cooper (D -Elk Grove) successfully sponsored legislation to establish standardized handling of forensic rape kits which are a critical part of identifying predators.  

"Although the rape statistics for 2016 are higher than 2015, I do believe this represents progress with respect to reporting and providing victim assistance," Noblett added.