Progress Made Against Gun Violence in Santa Barbara County

Santa Barbara County dropped to fifth lowest in total firearm deaths in California in 2024, an improvement compared to the previous year when the county ranked 12th lowest statewide. Statistics across the state show that California as a whole recorded its lowest firearm death, firearm suicide, and firearm homicide rate in 2024 — the most recent year for these statistics — creating the largest gap recorded between California and the rest of the nation.

“As far as California goes, we have actually done very well as a state,” observed Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown, “and we have done exceptionally well as a county in the last few years, in terms of gun violence or firearm death rates generally.”

Brown said that the drop is related to a specific formula, including the level of policing and law enforcement in the community, how actively firearms are investigated, and economic issues, such as employment rate or quality of life.

The CDC mortality data that compared California counties for 2023 displayed that Santa Barbara County also had the 19th lowest homicide rate and 13th lowest suicide rate when it came to firearm use.

Among domestic violence calls for assistance, which numbered 8,310 from 2020-2024 in Santa Barbara County, fewer than one percent involved firearms. The county saw 160 firearm-related deaths and injuries during that time, with assaults and homicides making up the largest part, followed by unintentional firearm deaths and self-harm injuries. Data also showed moderate levels of documented gun ownership, with about 8.1 percent of residents linked to a purchase or registration record.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published final mortality statistics for 2024, confirming that California’s homicide rate has been the safest on record since 1968 from gun violence, with a 35 percent reduction in three years, including the lowest death, suicide, and homicide rates involving firearms. However, the state’s homicide and suicide rate remained stable to the rest of the U.S.

“This report is both celebratory and cautionary. Without sustained investment in gun violence prevention, we risk losing the momentum we have built — at a cost that will ultimately be measured in human lives,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. His Department of Justice is developing a strategic plan to sustain the state’s record-setting progress in reducing gun violence. Current indications suggest that the downward trend continued into 2025.

Bonta’s report also warned that the progress from 2022-2025 was at risk due to budget cuts and declining federal support. At the city level, concerns came from increases in gun violence in 2026. The report warned that continuous progress will come to a stop depending on whether local and state leaders stay committed to working on strategies that have worked.

Looking at county- and state-wide totals of data to develop gun-violence-prevention policy and guidance, the report recommended a priority in budget investments go toward the people and communities at greatest risk. Recommendations consist of looking into trauma recovery services, firearm surrender compliance, and disrupting gun trafficking and the manufacture of ghost guns without serial numbers.

Compared to other counties, Santa Barbara’s levels are moderate in those categories, with assaults and accidental shootings mirroring statewide trends.

“What worries me is that the budget cuts to our formula will result in a decrease in the number of law enforcement officers that are available at any given time and probably all the support services that go with that,” said Brown. For instance, budget cuts will affect Isla Vista, with the department’s Foot Patrol looking at 12 fewer positions, though the number is not yet finalized.

Money also shortened the run of a Sheriff’s Office program with the National Shooting Sports Foundation in which free gun locks were distributed by officers, including school resource deputies. In the past two months, school resource deputies have caught at least two students who brought guns to school, Brown noted.

The sheriff said that Santa Barbara implements gun violence restraining orders (GVRO) at a higher rate than anywhere else, a tactic developed in the aftermath of the 2014 Isla Vista murders. This red flag law allows the removal of a gun by a family member, a friend, or law enforcement when they see someone in an unstable situation who should not have access to a firearm until stabilized.