Santa Barbara County has among the highest arrest rates in California, a draft planning document released by the Department of Behavioral Wellness shows.
The county’s adult arrest rate is 3,214 per 100,000 people, while the statewide rate is 2,440, representing a 27 percent difference.
For juveniles, those figures are 744.2 and 371.5, respectively, for a 67 percent disparity. The report notes Santa Barbara County has the fourth highest juvenile arrest rate in California.
Adult arrest rates were disproportionately male (5,910 per 100,000) compared to females (1,568). The largest racial disparity was between Black and white residents (9,280 vs. 2,628). Hispanic residents accounted for the largest share of arrests (58.5 percent).
The statistics were drawn from data dashboards operated by the California Department of Justice and the California Mental Health Services Authority.
Mental-health advocates have seized on the fact that the county’s “penetration rate” for specialty mental-health services is the 54th lowest among the state’s 58 counties. They contend a deficit of community-based treatment options is a significant factor in the high arrest rate.
Other figures featured in the report’s “Disparities Analysis” include:
Initiation of Substance Use Disorder Treatment:
Santa Barbara County rate: 25.6 percent; statewide rate: 36.6 percent
Inpatient Administrative Days in Mental Health Facilities:
Santa Barbara County rate: 17.4 days; statewide rate: 25.6 days
Incompetent to Stand Trial Count, Rate Per 100,000 People:
Santa Barbara County rate: 23.6 people; statewide rate: 14.3 people
