The San Diego County Sheriff's Office reported a 15% decrease in property crime across East County communities in 2025 compared to the previous year, citing expanded community policing programs and strategic patrol deployments.
The decline was particularly notable in Santee, where residential burglaries dropped 22% and vehicle thefts fell 18%. Lakeside and El Cajon also saw significant reductions.
What's Driving the Numbers
SDSO Captain James Rodriguez attributed the improvement to several factors:
- Increased patrol visibility in high-incident areas, particularly shopping centers and residential neighborhoods near the San Diego River trail
- Community partnership programs including Neighborhood Watch expansions in 12 new Santee neighborhoods
- Technology upgrades including expanded license plate reader coverage and improved crime mapping analytics
"We're putting deputies where the data tells us they need to be," Rodriguez said at a community briefing Thursday. "And residents are more engaged than ever in reporting suspicious activity."
Context
The improvement comes after two years of rising property crime in East County that mirrored statewide trends. Critics note that some of the decrease may reflect changes in reporting rather than actual crime reduction, and that violent crime statistics showed a more modest 3% decline over the same period.
The Sheriff's Office plans to expand its community policing team in Santee by four deputies in the coming fiscal year.