Goleta Ranked A Safe City
updated: Feb 25, 2013, 9:29 AM

Source: City of Goleta

The City of Goleta has been recognized as one of the top 100 Safest Cities in America by Location Inc., owner of the NeighborhoodScout community data research service. Goleta was ranked the 95th safest city, one of 23 cities in California and the only city in Santa Barbara County to make the list.

"The City of Goleta has always placed a high priority on public safety and it is rewarding to see our efforts result in a ranking in the top 100 Safest Cities," said Mayor Roger Aceves. "I would like to commend the efforts of our Goleta Police Department because their dedication and vigilance is instrumental in creating the safe community that we enjoy."

Each year, NeighborhoodScout publishes their top 100 Safest Cities in America list calculated on cities with a population of 25,000 or more and based on the total number of crimes per 1,000 residents. Crimes include burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, homicide, forcible rape, armed robbery and aggravated assault.

"This recognition is wonderful validation of the collective efforts to make Goleta a great place to live and do business in," said Vyto Adomaitis, Goleta's Director of Neighborhood Services & Public Safety. "We are fortunate to have a highly supportive and proactive City Council and an excellent police force working collaboratively with our residents and businesses to make Goleta a safe place."

Since the City of Goleta incorporated in 2002, the City has contracted with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office for law enforcement services.

Goleta's Police Chief Ugo "Butch" Arnoldi said, "I am extremely proud of the strong partnership between the City of Goleta and Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office. The men and women assigned to provide law enforcement services to the City of Goleta are to be commended for their dedication, commitment and work ethic that has resulted in the City of Goleta being awarded this prestigious honor."

Learn more about Goleta's crime statistics and the methodology used at http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/ca/goleta/crime/.

Comments in order of when they were received | (reverse order)

COMMENT 378401P	2013-02-25 09:48 AM
maybe now the City Council will stop whining about having to contract with the County and complaining about the cost of doing business
COMMENT 378403P	2013-02-25 09:49 AM
Is Isla Vista considered part of Goleta? Or is it in another category? I can't imagine with all the crime in IV that Goleta would still be on the list.
COMMENT 378404	2013-02-25 09:50 AM
What, no bats in Goleta? Hey, I'm moving!
COMMENT 378405P	2013-02-25 09:52 AM
@403P, incorporated Goleta doesn't include IV or Noleta.
COMMENT 378408	2013-02-25 09:58 AM
Love Goleta! Now we just need to clean up Old Town!
COMMENT 378412	2013-02-25 10:01 AM
still the goodland out this way!
COMMENT 378413	2013-02-25 10:04 AM
Safe is boring! Just think of the comments we had after the fatal shooting the other night. Safe gives residents time to complain about what their neighbors are doing for no other reason but to complain. Safe doesn't give tourists a sense of adventure. Safe means the City of Goleta has no night life. When was the last time you went clubbing in Goleta? I can go on, but I would rather take Santa Barbara's danger over Goleta's safe rating any day!
COMMENT 378416	2013-02-25 10:07 AM
Massaged those numbers didn't they? Guess that doesn't include all the school lockdowns, homeless crime and drugs.
COMMENT 378437P	2013-02-25 10:51 AM
@416, the City of Goleta doesn't include San Marcos High School or even all of the GUSD schools. This article is strictly about the incorporated area. Here's a link to a map: http://www.cityofgoleta.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=1924
COMMENT 378468	2013-02-25 11:35 AM
That explains it then.
COMMENT 378472	2013-02-25 11:39 AM
We like it that way. 413; when we want excitement, we can always go to the east side. Or not.
COMMENT 378477P	2013-02-25 11:42 AM
413 - Shootings are NOT exciting. SB residents still complain about their neighbors - take a look at any day on edhat. Tourists don't come to SB for the "adventure" of getting shot at, stabbed or bothered by panhandlers. Nothing stops residents of Goleta from going clubbing downtown. I'm sure you can go on, but I'd rather my kids be safe.
COMMENT 378479	2013-02-25 11:46 AM
What a crock!!!! Goleta IV same town in my book. All the homeless and lets not forget all the crime in IV!
COMMENT 378483	2013-02-25 11:52 AM
would love to see the demographics of Goleta compared to some of the other cities on the list, or even the county.
COMMENT 378488P	2013-02-25 11:59 AM
483 - google "Goleta demographics" and it takes you right there. 479 - IV is NOT part of the City of Goleta. Why are you so mad that Goleta is safe?
COMMENT 378524P	2013-02-25 01:02 PM
I like that Goleta rarely shows up on the 6 o'clock news like Oxnard, Santa Maria, and Santa Barbara.
COMMENT 378530	2013-02-25 01:08 PM
There's a crime map of Santa Barbara county online, and reflects the same low numbers. But I.V. is not far away, and has dozens of crimes. The one exception that fell off the stats, was the nation's worst multiple homicide perpetrated by a woman. An ex- postal worker, of course.
COMMENT 378538	2013-02-25 01:37 PM
And you have ghetto Old Town Goleta and the neighborhoods not far from DP are littered with gang members and every night, I see the cops cruising by the same houses. Yeah, feeling safe in Goleta? Umm no. I'd feel a lot safer if I could walk around and drive around with my gun on my hip.
COMMENT 378540	2013-02-25 01:41 PM
If you don't like that Goleta is considered safe, then move to the number 1 city on the list - Mason, Ohio, which has about the same number of people as Goleta.
COMMENT 378569	2013-02-25 03:04 PM
Goleta is #95 in safety, and definitely in the top ten in most boring places in the US. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
COMMENT 378572P	2013-02-25 03:06 PM
Why is everyone so upset that Goleta was ranked a safe city?! Everyone is always complaining about how we want a safer place to live and now you're mad because Goleta was deemed safe? If you're from SB, are you just jealous? I don't get it.... Seriously, you all are a confusing bunch!
COMMENT 378579	2013-02-25 03:28 PM
I enjoy living in Goleta. I like that I can walk to the beach but am still only a few minutes from Costco. I like the variety of stores in Old Town and I like that I can bike to most anywhere in the city in under 30 minutes. I also like that Isla Vista is nearby, it is fun to bike to and grab a burrito at Freebirds or drive to Santa Barbara for its many benefits. Finally I like that I feel pretty safe here. Nice to be recognized for being safe.
COMMENT 378601	2013-02-25 04:41 PM
572P Yep, they're miffed... sb is going downhill fast. Every park is filled with homeless people as is downtown. Add in the gang bangers from the eastside and the west side and it's a lovely place. The beaches are also filled with the homeless. The only nice places left in "Santa Barbara" are... NOT IN Santa Barbara!
COMMENT 378619	2013-02-25 05:08 PM
When Goleta was formed it was clear that including IV would not work. The students would run the town. They would raise taxes to provide free bicycles for everyone.
COMMENT 378649P	2013-02-25 06:29 PM
Every time an incorporation proposal which included IV came up for election, it was voted down. It wasn't until the scope was limited to exclude IV (and Noleta, as they wanted to keep their Santa Barbara addresses), that cityhood passed.
COMMENT 378695P	2013-02-25 09:22 PM
There was a time that Santa Barbara would have been considered a safe city. It is such a frustrating feeling watching Santa Barbara continue it's decline into a gang and bum infested swamp. The 17% subsidized housing, the lack of gang injunctions, the invitation and enabling of homelessness and illegal immigration has swiftly run Santa Barbara into a sad replica of it's former self.
COMMENT 378747	2013-02-26 08:03 AM
Folks who think Goleta is boring. . . are from somewhere else. Most of Noleta is from somewhere else. It's the Goleta Valley. Noleta is delusional :)
COMMENT 378761	2013-02-26 08:23 AM
You people really need to get hobbies. I read 2-3 responses. Is everything a snark-fest. Don't bother. I won't read your responses. Off to Yoga!
COMMENT 378785	2013-02-26 08:53 AM
Wow! I had no idea Goleta is so safe. I guess I better sell my mansion in Montecito and move to Goleta.
COMMENT 378799	2013-02-26 09:36 AM
Goleta is boring, but I live a pretty boring lifestyle so I don't mind. I'd prefer not to take downtown with it's tourist and college student filled clubs. Along with all that "exciting" nightlife, you get a lot of the garbage that goes along with it. Sorry, you can't have your cake and eat it too.
RED CREEK	2013-02-26 12:38 PM
Goleta is a gem. Population highly educated. Good schools, including a world class university. Lots of parks and open spaces, beautiful beaches. Good shopping and more to come. And safe too.
COMMENT 379565	2013-02-27 04:47 PM
Too bad more people are not as perceptive and open minded as Redcreek and CRKLine. Old Town is a pretty great place to live, work & play unless one prefers oxnard/orange county/Towbes style beige stucco, a chain store/fast food on every corner and oleanders everywhere. Come out here, walk around, there's a lot going on. True parking bites, the sheriff dept is selective & uniformly unpleasant and it's tough to cross Hollister but overall it is a fine little neighborhood.

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