Tehachapi's 2021 crime statistics

The Tehachapi Police Department has completed a review and analysis of the crime statistics for 2021 revealing an 11.5% reduction in Part I crimes from 2020. Part I crimes as defined by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are: criminal homicide, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny theft, grand theft auto, and arson.

In 2021, total Part I crimes reported/known were 360, an 11.5% reduction from 407 Part I crimes in 2020. The 360 Part I crimes in 2021 also represent a 14% reduction compared to 2019 when 415 Part I crimes were reported.

The latest crime statistics come at a challenging time for law enforcement across the state of California and are a testament to the work of the men and women of the Tehachapi Police Department and the community for building a trusting relationship with the officers, 911 dispatchers and emergency response staff who handle these incidents.

The department also experienced a reduction in both felony and misdemeanor arrests in 2021 with felony arrests declining 17.4% with 218 felony arrests reported in 2021 compared to 264 felony arrests in 2020. Misdemeanor arrests declined 1.9% from 410 in 2020 to 402 in 2021.

Operating the only local 911 dispatch center in the Tehachapi area, the Tehachapi Police Department responded to 7,397 calls for service in 2021, a 4.6% reduction from the 7,752 calls for service the prior year.

“We thank the community for their cooperation and vigilance to work with the Tehachapi Police Department to not only respond to but help prevent crime,” said City Manager Greg Garrett. “It is challenging in this state to reduce crime rates but between our fine officers, the leadership of Chief Kroeger and the community involvement, we continue to buck the trend despite challenges that are oftentimes out of our control. Maintaining rapid 911 response times and protecting our 911 emergency response services continues to be a significant priority for Tehachapi residents, as is the safety our community expects and deserves.”

This marks the ninth time since the FBI started tracking Part I crimes in 2008 that the City of Tehachapi has had fewer than 400 incidents.