Crime & Safety in El Cajon, CA
Violent and property crime rates, clearance data, and trends — 2024 Data
Crime Overview
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)Violent Crime Rate
4.34
per 1,000 residents
-3% vs national
Property Crime Rate
15.00
per 1,000 residents
-31% vs national
Total Crimes
1,973
2024
Violent Clearance
56%
cases solved
+33% vs national
Property Clearance
17%
cases solved
vs Similar Cities
-4%
vs 100K-250K avg
-4% vs 100K-250K
YoY Change
-7.4%
violent crime rate
improving vs 2023
How El Cajon Compares
Source: FBI (2024)El Cajon vs Similar Cities
Source: FBI (2024)Compared to cities with 100,000 - 250,000 residents. El Cajon is highlighted in green.
Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000)
Property Crime Rate (per 1,000)
Murder Rate (per 1,000)
Violent Crime Clearance Rate
Crime Rate Trends
Source: FBICrime Composition
Source: FBI (2024)Violent Crime Breakdown
Property Crime Breakdown
Crime Clearance (Solve) Rates
Source: FBI (2024)El Cajon police solve 61% of aggravated assault cases but only 9% of motor vehicle theft cases. The national violent crime clearance rate is 42%.
Weapon Used in Violent Crime
Source: FBI (2024)Crime Breakdown
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)| Crime Type | Category | Count | Rate per 1K | Clearance % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murder | Violent | 0 | 0.00 | N/A |
| Rape | Violent | 27 | 0.26 | 37.0% |
| Robbery | Violent | 108 | 1.06 | 49.1% |
| Aggravated Assault | Violent | 308 | 3.02 | 60.7% |
| Burglary | Property | 157 | 1.54 | 23.6% |
| Larceny/Theft | Property | 1,105 | 10.84 | 18.1% |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | Property | 268 | 2.63 | 9.0% |
El Cajon, CA reported 443 violent crimes and 1,530 property crimes in 2024. The violent crime rate of 4.34 per 1,000 residents is 3.1% below the national average of 4.48 per 1,000. Law enforcement cleared 56% of violent crimes. Larceny/theft accounts for 1,105 of the property crime reports. Firearms were involved in 9.7% of aggravated assaults. El Cajon's violent crime rate is roughly in line with similarly sized cities (100,000 - 250,000 population). Violent crime has been trending downward.
Crime History
Source: FBI| Year | Violent | Property | Violent Rate | Property Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 443 | 1,530 | 4.34 | 15.00 |
| 2023 | 486 | 1,571 | 4.69 | 15.17 |
| 2022 | 490 | 1,689 | 4.68 | 16.13 |
| 2021 | 547 | 1,903 | 5.33 | 18.54 |
| 2020 | 512 | 1,846 | 4.97 | 17.92 |
| 2019 | 552 | 2,046 | 5.32 | 19.73 |
| 2018 | 515 | 2,269 | 4.93 | 21.71 |
| 2017 | 429 | 2,330 | 4.11 | 22.31 |
| 2016 | 395 | 2,446 | 3.78 | 23.41 |
| 2015 | 360 | 2,267 | 3.46 | 21.81 |
School Shootings
Source: The Washington PostTotal Incidents
1
Total Killed
0
Total Injured
5
| Date | School | Killed | Injured | Type | Weapon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 22, 2001 | Granite Hills High School | 0 | 5 | targeted and indiscriminate | Mossberg pump-action 12-gauge shotgun |
Data from The Washington Post, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.