The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office has released the 2023 crime statistics for the communities it serves, including Goleta. Reports are broken down into two major categories: Part 1 crimes, which are the most serious in nature, and Part 2 crimes, which include a number of lesser criminal offenses and some juvenile status offenses.
Part 1 crimes are further broken down into two subcategories: violent crimes and property crimes. Part 1 violent crimes are offenses that involve force or a threat of force and include criminal homicide, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Part 1 property crimes are theft-related offenses that do not involve threats or force against the victim, including burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft.
“We in the Sheriff’s Office are pleased to report a significant decrease in Part 1 crimes in those areas of the county that are served by the Sheriff’s Office, including all unincorporated areas and the contract cities of Carpinteria, Goleta, Buellton, and Solvang. These overall Part 1 crimes, which include both violent and property crimes, decreased from 2,679 in 2022 to 2,225 in 2023, a reduction of 16.9%. I am immensely proud of the many contributions the men and women of the Sheriff’s Office have made during 2023 that helped keep the peace and that made our communities safe” said Sheriff Bill Brown. “The overall Part 1 crime total was the lowest it has been during the past 10 years. That is a remarkable accomplishment given the challenges that have been faced this past year, including the proliferation of fentanyl in our communities and the related surge in overdose deaths.”
In Goleta, crime statistics from 2022 to 2023 indicate a decrease in overall crime. Part 1 crimes decreased from 601 incidents in 2022 to 533 in 2023, representing an 11.3% reduction.
Violent crimes saw an increase, rising from 49 incidents in 2022 to 56 in 2023, a 14.3% increase. This includes a slight increase in aggravated assaults, which went from 36 incidents in 2022 to 37 in 2023, and rape, which increased from 3 to 6. Robbery incidents also increased from 9 in 2022 to 12 in 2023.
Property crimes showed a significant decrease, with totals dropping from 552 incidents in 2022 to 477 in 2023, a reduction of 13.6%. This category includes a decrease in burglary, which fell from 88 incidents in 2022 to 65 in 2023, and larceny-theft, which dropped from 422 incidents in 2022 to 362 in 2023. However, motor vehicle thefts increased from 33 incidents in 2022 to 46 in 2023.
For the full report for all of Santa Barbara County, click here.