News You Might Have Missed
By Bo Tefu | California Black Media
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Report: California Crime Rate Hits 30-Year Low — But Shoplifting Increased
California saw a drop in most types of crime last year, including homicide, car break-ins, and auto theft, according to new data from the California Department of Justice.
But while overall crime is down, shoplifting is on the rise and remains a concern for businesses and law enforcement across the state.
Violent crime decreased by 5.5% and property crime dropped by 10% in 2024. The state’s property crime rate is now the lowest it has been in nearly 40 years. Notably, car theft fell by 16.8% in its first decline since 2019, but it remains nearly 20% higher than pre-pandemic levels.
All categories of violent crime, including homicide, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault, showed improvement. Still, violent crime overall is nearly 10% higher than in 2019, mostly due to continued elevated levels of aggravated assault.
Despite the positive trends, shoplifting rose by nearly 14% last year and is nearly 48% higher than before the pandemic. When combined with commercial burglary data, overall retail theft rose by 3% in 2024 and is nearly 23% higher than 2019 levels.
Experts note that some of the rise in reported shoplifting could reflect changes in how incidents are tracked. After Proposition 47 reduced penalties for some theft offenses, some retailers reportedly stopped reporting minor incidents. However, increased media attention and recent legislative efforts – including the approval of Prop 36 last year — may be prompting more consistent reporting.
Theft of car parts, including catalytic converters, has also declined, reversing a pandemic-era spike. Car break-ins, too, have dropped by nearly half compared to 2019.
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California-Hawaii NAACP Wins Top National Awards
The NAACP California-Hawaii State Conference received three national honors at the 116th NAACP National Convention held last week in North Carolina, recognizing the group’s leadership in civil rights advocacy and community outreach.
The conference was awarded the prestigious Willis Edwards Award, which celebrates units that have made significant contributions to improving equality, inclusion, and quality of life for LGBTQIA+ individuals.
In addition to the Edwards Award, the California-Hawaii State Conference also took home first place in the Publications category and third place in the Programs category of the NAACP’s Thalheimer Award competition, which highlights excellence in programming and operations.
“These awards are a testament to the powerful work happening across our California-Hawaii State Conference,” said Rick L. Callender, president of the NAACP state conference. “At a time when our communities are once again under attack by hate and bigotry, it is more urgent than ever to stand in solidarity and create space for inclusive justice.”
Elizabeth Kamya, chair of the state conference’s LGBTQIA+ Committee, emphasized the importance of intersectional advocacy.
“True liberation must include every part of who we are — our Blackness, our queerness, our humanity,” she said. “We will continue to build spaces where our communities are seen, protected, and uplifted.”
The Willis Edwards Award is named after a longtime NAACP leader who played a key role in expanding the organization’s LGBTQIA+ advocacy. Edwards was known for his work in promoting unity and advancing rights for all people regardless of race, gender identity, or sexual orientation.
The Thalheimer Awards are considered the NAACP’s highest honors for local branches and state conferences. They are given to organizations that demonstrate strong programs, communications, and leadership that reflect the core values of the NAACP.
The California-Hawaii State Conference says it plans to build on this recognition by continuing to push for justice, equity, and inclusion throughout the region.
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Study: Black Californians Exposed to Dangerous Toxins for More Than 40 Years
A new study reports that Black, Latino, and other communities of color in California have experienced worsening disparities in exposure to harmful short-term nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution over the last four decades, even as overall pollution levels declined.
Researchers from Yale University and partner institutions used a deep learning framework to analyze daily NO2 concentrations across California from 1980 to 2022. The study, published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials this month, found that while NO2 exposure dropped statewide, relative disparities between racial and ethnic groups grew over time.
In 2020, Latino residents in California experienced nearly three times as many days with NO2 concentrations exceeding 50 micrograms per cubic meter compared to non-Hispanic White residents.
In 1980, the gap was just 32%.
Black Californians and other non-White groups, including Asian, Pacific Islander, American Indian, and Alaska Native populations, were also disproportionately exposed to high levels of NO2, a pollutant linked to respiratory illness, heart disease, and early death.
“Communities of color have long faced unequal environmental burdens,” said lead author Riyang Liu. “Our data show these disparities haven’t gone away — they’ve actually become more severe relative to the White population.”
The researchers overcame gaps in historical monitoring data by combining chemical transport models, land use changes, and deep learning techniques to estimate daily NO2 exposure at a neighborhood level. This allowed for the first detailed, statewide analysis of racial and ethnic disparities in short-term NO2 pollution over a 42-year span.
NO2 is mainly produced by traffic, power plants, and industrial sources. It often builds up in populated urban areas with limited green space and heavy road traffic – communities that are more likely to be home to low-income and minority populations.
The findings add urgency to calls for stronger environmental justice policies in California and nationwide.
“Reducing overall pollution is not enough,” Liu said. “We need policies that directly address unequal exposure in Black, Latino, and Indigenous communities.”
The study was funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health.
The study highlights growing pollution disparities affecting Black, Latino, and other communities of color in California.
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A Step Back for Golden State Gun Control: Fed Court Strikes Down Key California Ammo Law
A federal appeals court on July 24 upheld a lower court’s decision blocking California’s background check law for ammunition buyers, ruling the requirement violates the Second Amendment.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the 2016 voter-approved measure infringes on gun owners’ constitutional rights by requiring repeated background checks before buying bullets. In the 2-1 ruling, Judge Sandra Ikuta wrote that the law “meaningfully constrains the right to keep operable arms” by making it harder to obtain ammunition.
“The right to keep and bear arms incorporates the right to operate them, which requires ammunition,” Ikuta stated.
The decision relied heavily on a 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling — New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen — that set a new standard for evaluating gun laws. That ruling requires firearm regulations to align with the nation’s historical traditions. California officials argued the ammo law was similar to loyalty oaths used in the post-Civil War era, but the judges were not convinced.
“These laws are not relevant,” Ikuta wrote.
Judge Jay Bybee dissented, arguing the checks are low-cost, quick and have been effective since California began enforcing them in 2019.
“The vast majority of checks cost one dollar and impose less than one minute of delay,” Bybee wrote. “The majority has broken with our precedent and flouted the Supreme Court’s guidance.”
According to the California Department of Justice, 89% of ammo purchases are approved in about three minutes. About 10% are rejected due to fixable technical issues, and fewer than 1% are denied for legal reasons.
It’s unclear if the decision will immediately lift the state’s six-year-old restrictions. State officials haven’t yet said if they will appeal the ruling.
Gun control advocates criticized the decision. Janet Carter of Everytown Law said the law helped block 191 armed and prohibited individuals from buying ammo in 2024 alone.
Gun rights supporters celebrated the ruling, calling it an appropriate defense of the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.