The Santa Barbara Police Department is witnessing a new trend among one revolving but familiar demographic. According to a quarterly report, monthly statistics collected by SBPD show an increase in transient-related crimes between January and May 2016. At its peak in May, police reported 628 transient-related crimes, a number that exceeds the five-year monthly average of 348. This increase also follows a steady relative decline in the latter half of 2015, during which total transient-related crimes in December amounted to 366.
Though fluctuations like this have occurred in previous years, police spokesperson Sergeant Riley Harwood indicated the overall trend of transient-related crime in Santa Barbara, which can range from violent outbreaks to open-container citations, has remained relatively consistent and is not a point of concern. The cause of such fluctuations is, however, a little more difficult to pinpoint.
One reason, according to Harwood, lies in the tentative correlation between crime rates and homeless shelter policies. As shelters like PATH (previously known as Casa Esperanza) adopt policies that mandate sobriety in exchange for shelter and services, those unwilling to conform may opt to stay on the streets.