Crime Statistics
This page includes Part I Crime totals for the City of Palo Alto for 2010 through 2019. Part I crimes are crimes that occur with sufficient frequency to provide an adequate basis for comparison.
What is Uniform Crime Reporting?
Uniform Crime Reporting is a law enforcement program designed to provide a nationwide view of crime based on the submission of statistics by law enforcement agencies throughout the country. Each agency is required to report monthly crime statistics to the California Department of Justice, which in turn forwards the information to the FBI. The FBI then uses this information to publish their annual Uniform Crime Report.
For practical purposes, the reporting of known offenses is limited to the crime classifications listed in the Part I Crimes summary because they are crimes most likely to be reported and crimes that occur with sufficient frequency to provide an adequate basis for comparison.
| Crimes | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homicide | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Rape | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 6 | 10 |
| Robbery* | 39 | 25 | 26 | 30 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 39 | 30 | 46 |
| Assault** | 70 | 35 | 23 | 21 | 24 | 27 | 35 | 40 | 38 | 29 |
| Burglary Total | 217 | 287 | 332 | 242 | 273 | 212 | 221 | 215 | 234 | 179 |
| Larceny - Theft | 1,083 | 937 | 1,048 | 1,179 | 975 | 1,407 | 1,161 | 1,477 | 1,197 | 1,724 |
| Stolen Vehicles | 49 | 38 | 48 | 69 | 68 | 87 | 65 | 92 | 83 | 83 |
| Arson* | 23 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 8 |
| Totals | 1,485 | 1,338 | 1,494 | 1,555 | 1,374 | 1,778 | 1,529 | 1,880 | 1,597 | 2,080 |
*Includes attempts
**Does not include simple assaults
Below is a 10-year count of all Calls for Service, Offenses and Accident reports.
| Year | Calls for Service | Offenses | Accidents |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 51,417 | 5,611 | 836 |
| 2018 | 55,798 | 5,715 | 993 |
| 2017 | 54,926 | 5,938 | 952 |
| 2016 | 52,366 | 5,534 | 969 |
| 2015 | 58,243 | 6,729 | 1,025 |
| 2014 | 59,773 | 6,058 | 1,108 |
| 2013 | 65,861 | 5,764 | 1,173 |
| 2012 | 62,783 | 5,607 | 1,001 |
| 2011 | 59,815 | 4,921 | 1,096 |
| 2010 | 63,966 | 5,463 | 1,037 |
Visit the FedStats page to view a breakdown of the population based on various factors.
Visit the FBI's website to see nationwide crime statistics and comparisons.
You can now request statistical information for specific locations in Palo Alto during a given time period. There is a $60.00 per hour fee charged for research required to produce more in depth or complicated statistical reports. To request this service, you can download a Statistics Request form. You can complete it in one of three ways:
1. It can be filled out online and then printed out and either mailed to, or brought to, the Police Department.
2. It can be printed out, completed by hand, and either mailed to, or brought to, the Police Department.
3. It can be filled out online, saved, and e-mailed to the Police Department (pd@cityofpaloalto.org) as an attachment.
The requester will be notified when the report is ready. Payment can be sent via mail or in person. The report will be mailed or can be picked up in person.
For a look at crimes reported in the city, please visit the this interactive crime map provided by CityProtect. It can only be accessed through Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. For more information on crime statistics, please contact our office at 650-329-2536.