Violent and property crimes dropped significantly in California last year, the state attorney general said. The Associated Press said new statistics indicate that the violent crime rate per 100,000 residents decreased to its lowest level since 1967. Violent crime declined 6.5 percent from 2012, while property crimes were down nearly 4 percent.
The crime rate has been under closer scrutiny since criminal justice reforms pushed by Gov. Jerry Brown took effect three years ago. “Any drop in crime is good news, of course,” said Kent Scheidegger, legal director for the conservative Criminal Justice Legal Foundation, which has been critical of the state’s criminal justice changes.