Martinez saw overall crime numbers fall in 2020; vehicle thefts up more than 50%

With one notable exception, reported significant crime in Martinez was down in 2020 more than 10 percent from the previous year, Martinez Police Chief Manjit Sappal recently told the Martinez City Council.

In a subsequent email, Sappal said rape cases decreased by more than 29 percent in 2020 from 2019; robberies were down 7.7 percent; aggravated assaults were down 12.5 percent; and simple assaults were down 18.02 percent over the previous year.