Overall incidents of Part I crimes — described as the most serious — dropped in 2024, with violent crimes increasing almost 8%, from 377 in 2023 to 406 countywide, according to numbers released by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.
The number of violent crimes in 2024, identified as homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault, is the highest reported in the 10 years of data, according to the sheriff’s office, which oversees unincorporated areas of the county, and is the contracted service provider in Solvang, Buellton, Carpinteria and Goleta.
Property crime in the overall service area sits at the lowest levels in the past decade of reporting, with the 1,781 reported incidents in 2024, down 4% from the 1,848 in 2023 — and down from the 2016 high of 2,681.
The overall number of Part 1 crimes, comprised of property crime and violent crime, is at the lowest reported level of 2,187, down 2% from the 2,225 in 2023 and the decade’s high of 3,038 in 2016…