Garden Grove crime by year: the official counts
Every California police agency reports its crimes to the state Department of Justice, which publishes them as the Crimes and Clearances file on OpenJustice. The July 2026 release covers 1985 through 2025. These are the Garden Grove Police Department's counts since 2015.
| Year | Violent crimes | Property crimes | Burglary | Vehicle theft | Larceny-theft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 504 | 4,433 | 885 | 649 | 2,899 |
| 2016 | 545 | 4,322 | 861 | 672 | 2,789 |
| 2017 | 602 | 4,348 | 840 | 657 | 2,851 |
| 2018 | 507 | 4,040 | 613 | 612 | 2,815 |
| 2019 | 505 | 3,909 | 627 | 504 | 2,778 |
| 2020 | 512 | 3,938 | 645 | 690 | 2,603 |
| 2021 | 331 | 2,522 | 397 | 426 | 1,699 |
| 2022 | 525 | 3,694 | 646 | 579 | 2,469 |
| 2023 | 304 | 2,402 | 474 | 384 | 1,544 |
| 2024 | 461 | 2,950 | 514 | 462 | 1,974 |
| 2025 | 416 | 1,845 | 386 | 338 | 1,121 |
In 2025 the department recorded one homicide, 25 rapes, 122 robberies and 268 aggravated assaults, for 416 violent crimes. The 1,845 property crimes were 386 burglaries, 338 vehicle thefts and 1,121 larceny-thefts. There were also 21 arsons.
Two patterns stand out. Property crime peaked at 4,433 in 2015 and was 1,845 in 2025, a drop of about 58%, with larceny-theft down about 61% and vehicle theft down from 649 to 338. Violent crime has moved in a band of roughly 300 to 600 a year, with low years in 2021 and 2023. It rose from 304 to 461 between 2023 and 2024, mostly aggravated assaults, which went from 189 to 326, then eased to 416 in 2025, with 268 aggravated assaults. A one-year jump of that size can reflect real change or a change in how incidents are classified, so ask the department before you read too much into it.
Garden Grove compared with nearby cities, the county and the state
To compare places of different size, we divided each agency's 2025 DOJ count by the Census Bureau's 2020-2024 population estimate and multiplied by 100,000. The county row adds every agency in Orange County, including the Sheriff's Department, the CHP and campus police.
| Area (2025) | Violent crimes | Property crimes | Violent per 100,000 | Property per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garden Grove | 416 | 1,845 | 243 | 1,079 |
| Westminster | 297 | 1,782 | 331 | 1,983 |
| Fountain Valley | 99 | 881 | 176 | 1,566 |
| Stanton | 138 | 487 | 350 | 1,236 |
| Santa Ana | 1,054 | 4,126 | 337 | 1,320 |
| Anaheim | 1,877 | 6,002 | 545 | 1,742 |
| Orange County, all agencies | 8,367 | 41,934 | 264 | 1,325 |
| California | 170,397 | 705,925 | 434 | 1,797 |
On this measure, Garden Grove's violent crime rate in 2025 was lower than in Westminster, Stanton, Santa Ana and Anaheim and higher than in Fountain Valley. Its property crime rate was the lowest of the six cities, below Stanton's and Santa Ana's and well under Fountain Valley's, Anaheim's and Westminster's. With about 171,000 residents, Garden Grove is large enough that its rates move less from year to year than those of small cities, but one year is still a thin basis for a decision. Compare at least three years.
Clearance rates in Garden Grove
The same DOJ file counts crimes cleared, mostly by arrest. In 2025 Garden Grove cleared 177 violent crimes, about 43% of the 416 reported, including about 50% of aggravated assaults and about 32% of robberies. It cleared 142 property crimes, about 8% of the total, including about 9% of burglaries and about 7% of vehicle thefts. Low clearance for property crime is common across California, which is one reason prevention, cameras and insurance matter for owners.
Is Garden Grove safe? What the numbers can and cannot tell you
The DOJ figures cover the whole city, about 18 square miles of land, and do not break down by neighborhood, tract or street. We found no official Garden Grove dataset that publishes crime by neighborhood, and the department's online community crime map was marked "New Link Coming Soon" when we checked. Sites that rank individual Garden Grove neighborhoods use private models, so this page gives no neighborhood ranking and no safe or unsafe verdict.
How the department divides the city
The department's 2024-2025 Biennial Report says patrol is split into East and West divisions with three beats in each, staffed by 72 patrol officers, 14 sergeants and two lieutenants. Officers set goals with their beat partners each year based on local crime trends. If you are weighing a specific home, ask which beat it is in and what the beat's current priorities are.
Visitors, hotels and the resort district
Citywide counts include crimes against visitors and workers, not only residents. The Biennial Report says the city's resort area has ten hotels with nearly 3,400 rooms and about 750 calls for service a year, handled partly by a dedicated resort officer. Busy commercial corridors such as Harbor Boulevard, Brookhurst Street and Garden Grove Boulevard add to the totals too. A home a few blocks from a hotel or shopping center may see different activity than one on a quiet residential street, which is why an address-level check matters.
Fiscal-year unit figures vs DOJ calendar-year counts
The Biennial Report also says the Property Crimes Unit investigated 980 burglaries, 561 auto thefts, 516 grand thefts and 950 petty thefts in the 2024-2025 fiscal year. Those are cases investigated over July to June, not the DOJ's calendar-year counts of reported crimes, so they do not match the table above. Use one source at a time.
How to check crime near a Garden Grove address
Garden Grove Police Department
Call the non-emergency line at (714) 741-5704 or visit the lobby at 11301 Acacia Parkway, open weekdays. Ask what kinds of calls officers see near the block, whether the department has a current crime map or monthly figures, and whether the 2023 and 2024 assault counts reflect a change in recording. The department also takes vacation home check requests and extra patrol requests once you live there, and you can request a copy of a police report through its records page.
OpenJustice crime and clearance files
OpenJustice publishes the Crimes and Clearances file used on this page for every agency back to 1985. Download it to compare Garden Grove with Westminster, Fountain Valley, Cypress or any other city on your list for the same years and the same offense groups.
FBI Crime Data Explorer
The Crime Data Explorer shows the department's submissions to the national program by offense and year. Totals can differ a little from the state file because of reporting dates and definitions, so keep the two sources apart.
Megan's Law map
The California DOJ's Megan's Law site maps registered sex offenders whose addresses are public. Search the home and the routes you would use each day.
Your own visits
Go back at different times: a weekday evening, a Saturday afternoon and after dark. Near Harbor Boulevard, Main Street and the big retail centers, notice parking, lighting and late-night traffic. Talk to neighbors, and for a condo or townhome, ask the HOA about gates, cameras, lighting and recent incidents.
Flood, earthquake and insurance risks in Garden Grove
Flood maps for Garden Grove homes
Look up the address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and ask your lender whether flood insurance will be required. Ask the seller for any flood or water claims history, and check whether a home sits near one of the regional storm channels.
Earthquake and liquefaction zones
Use the California Geological Survey's EQ Zapp to see whether a parcel is in a mapped fault, liquefaction or landslide zone, and Cal OES MyHazards for several hazards in one search. Most Garden Grove homes were built before 1980, so ask an inspector about foundation bolting and cripple walls. Our earthquake insurance guide and seller disclosure guide explain what you should receive.
Insurance quotes before you commit
Get homeowners insurance quotes during your inspection period, not after. Insurers price theft and vandalism history, roof age and claims at the address. See our California homeowners insurance guide.
A checklist before you buy or rent in Garden Grove
- Compare Garden Grove with each city on your list using the same DOJ year and offense groups, over at least three years.
- Call the Garden Grove Police Department about recent calls near the address, its beat and any crime map.
- Check the Megan's Law map for the home and daily routes.
- Visit at night and on a weekend, especially near Harbor Boulevard and large shopping centers.
- Look up FEMA flood, EQ Zapp and MyHazards results, and get insurance quotes.
- For condos and townhomes, ask the HOA about security, lighting, gates and recent incidents.
For prices and ZIP figures, see the Garden Grove real estate guide and the Garden Grove ZIP codes page. For schools, see the Garden Grove schools guide; for the statewide picture, the California crime comparison guide. Our featured Garden Grove agent can help you compare specific streets.