Crime Skyrockets After City Bankruptcy

San Bernardino was the third city in California to file for bankruptcy last year. Within the past year it has descended from a model of crime reduction to a crime-plagued city.

2 minute read

January 24, 2013, 8:00 AM PST

By Irvin Dawid


The City of San Bernardino, population 211,000 [PDF] as of January, 2011, located 60 miles east of Los Angeles and seat of San Bernardino County, became the third city in 2012 to declare bankruptucy in California on July 10, following Stockton and Mammoth Lakes.  Ian Lovett writes how "residents here are confronting a transformed and more perilous city" from one that was no less than a model for its crime prevention programs just over a year ago.   

After violent crime had dropped steadily for years, the homicide rate shot up more than 50 percent in 2012 as a shrinking police force struggled to keep order in a city long troubled by street gangs that have migrated from Los Angeles...

A little over a year ago, this city’s falling crime rate was a success story. An aggressive gang intervention effort helped cut the homicide rate by nearly half since the 2005 peak, and in 2011 the program was held up by theNational League of Cities as a model for other cities to follow.

Stockton, Calif., which filed for bankruptcy in June, has followed a similarly grim path into insolvency, logging more homicides last year than ever before. In Vallejo, Calif., which filed for bankruptcy in 2008, cuts left the police force a third smaller, and the city became a hub for prostitution.

Mayor Patrick Morris explains that the dire finances of his city is causing him to consider dismantling the already down-sized police department and relying on the County of San Bernardino sheriff department.

Surprisingly, there have been some unexpected benefits. Lovett writes that with the city unable to perform many of its traditional duties, neighborhood watch groups have increased. In addition, citizens have volunteered with duties such as park maintenance, maintaining animal shelters. However, less affluent areas have not seen the same level of citizen involvement.

Monday, January 14, 2013 in The New York Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Person wearing mask walking through temporary outdoor dining setup lined with bistro lights at dusk in New York City.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?

Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

June 19, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Aerial view of new neifhborhood under construction with enpty lots in foreground.

In California Battle of Housing vs. Environment, Housing Just Won

A new state law significantly limits the power of CEQA, an environmental review law that served as a powerful tool for blocking new development.

July 2 - CALmatters

Low-rise Pearl Sreet mall in Boulfer, Colorado.

Boulder Eliminates Parking Minimums Citywide

Officials estimate the cost of building a single underground parking space at up to $100,000.

July 2 - Boulder Reporting Lab

Two-story buildings with porches in walkable Florida neighborhood.

Orange County, Florida Adopts Largest US “Sprawl Repair” Code

The ‘Orange Code’ seeks to rectify decades of sprawl-inducing, car-oriented development.

July 2 - CNU Public Square