MODESTO, Calif. — The Modesto Police Department released its annual crime report Friday, showing a drop in almost every major crime category between 2022 and 2023, including homicides, robberies, assaults, burglaries, larceny, and auto theft.
“I’m not surprised, but it’s still good news,” said Jacob Sundstrom, an Orange County resident who was visiting Modesto on Friday. “I want crime to keep going down. If it drops again next year, that’d be awesome.”
It’s not just last year that saw a decrease—data shows that 2023 marks at least the fifth consecutive year of overall crime reduction.
“When we moved here, people warned us about the high crime rate, but it doesn’t feel that way,” said new Modesto resident Deanna Marrujo.
Sylvia Martinez, who’s lived in Modesto since the 1980s, agrees. While she acknowledges that the city has its issues, she feels things are improving.
“No, I’m not surprised because I think our police officers are doing a great job. They do the best they can with what they have,” said Martinez. “Nothing against the homeless, but I wish there were more programs to help them get off the streets.”
Despite the overall decline in crime, there were a couple of areas with slight increases, most notably traffic collisions, which were up more than 50% in 2023. Still, some residents believe Modesto’s streets are safer than those in other cities.
“That’s the first thing we noticed… in San Francisco, people would constantly honk their horns,” said Emmett Marrujo, Deanna’s spouse. “Here, people seem more relaxed.”
For the Marrujos, a calmer environment was one of the reasons they left the Bay Area and moved to Modesto a few months ago. They found a sense of safety and a more relaxed lifestyle.
“It’s a well-kept secret, this place is radically underestimated,” said Deanna about her first few weeks in Modesto. “Everything’s here. It’s really nice. We like it a lot.”
