Overall violent crimes and property crimes decreased in 2025, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.
On May 18, the Sheriff’s Office shared its 2025 crime statistics, which track the number of crimes that occurred throughout the county’s unincorporated areas and contract cities.
The new statistics show that part one crimes, which include violent and property crimes, decreased 9% compared with 2024. The total number of part one crimes in 2025 was 1,982 compared with 2,187 in 2024.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, part one violent crimes involve force or threats of force, and include criminal homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault and arson.
Violent crimes saw a small increase of 4%, rising from 406 in 2024 to 421 incidents in 2025. The incidents included a rise in robberies and aggravated assaults, while reported rapes decreased compared with 2024.
Part one property crimes are theft-related crimes that do not involve any force or threats. Property crimes fell from 1,781 incidents in 2024 to 1,561 last year, a 12% decrease, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The crimes that saw the most significant decreases in 2025 were burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson.
“The Sheriff’s Office is pleased to report that our county continues to have low levels of reported crime and that, overall, it remains a very safe place to live. In 2025, we saw a significant decrease in overall part one crimes across the areas we serve,” Sheriff Bill Brown said.
“These overall part one crimes decreased from 2,187 in 2024 to 1,982 in 2025, a reduction of 9.4%. I am proud of the continued work of our deputies, detectives and professional staff whose efforts contribute to safer communities throughout Santa Barbara County.”
The Sheriff’s Office covers Isla Vista, the cities of Goleta, Carpinteria, Solvang and Buellton, and unincorporated parts of the county.
In 2025, the office saw slight increases in crimes in Carpinteria and Isla Vista.
Carpinteria saw the overall number of crimes rise from 200 in 2024 to 204 in 2025. The Sheriff’s Office reported that the increase was driven by increases in aggravated assaults and robberies. The total number of violent incidents rose from 24 the previous year to 40 in 2025.
Property crimes decreased 7%, from 176 in 2024 to 164 in 2025.
Isla Vista saw overall crimes rise from 224 in 2024 to 229 in 2025. Violent crimes increased by 22% in 2025, primarily driven by increases in aggravated assaults.
Property crimes in Isla Vista decreased from 179 in 2024 to 174 in 2025.
Other parts of the county saw overall part one crimes decrease, including Buellton, Goleta and Solvang. Buellton saw crimes decrease across multiple categories. Overall crimes decreased 25% in 2025, dropping from 71 incidents in 2024 to just 53 in the past year. Violent and property crimes decreased in 2025, but motor vehicle thefts increased slightly.
Goleta also saw a decrease in overall crime, with part one crimes decreasing from 602 in 2024 to 449 in 2025. Property crimes decreased from 538 incidents in 2024 to 383 in 2025, including large decreases in burglary and larceny theft.
Violent crimes in Goleta saw a slight increase from 64 incidents in 2024 to 66 in 2025.
Solvang reported a small decrease in overall crime, with part one crimes dropping from 61 incidents in 2024 to 56 incidents in 2025.
Violent crimes rose from four incidents in 2024 to eight in 2025, and property crimes decreased from 57 incidents in 2024 to 48. The largest reductions were in burglary, larceny-theft and motor vehicle theft.
