Is San Diego safe for tourists? What to know in 2026

We get this question a lot, so here it is with numbers. In its 2025 annual report (March 2026), the San Diego Police Department counted 59,793 offenses citywide, down 6.3% from 2024. Crimes against persons fell 3.2% to 13,267, a rate the city puts at 4.1 per 1,000 residents. Homicides dropped from 48 to 39, and motor vehicle thefts fell 21.8% to 4,261, which the city calls the fewest since 1972.

The real risk: your parked car

Car break-ins dropped in 2025 (an SDPD captain told ABC 10News in December 2025 that car prowls were down 26%), but they are still the crime visitors are most likely to see. In June 2026 the San Diego Regional Auto Theft Task Force warned that thieves were stealing surfers' cars, and the belongings inside, in Pacific Beach and La Jolla, sometimes after watching people hide keys. Take your key with you or use a lock box, and report thefts to the task force at 858-627-4000 or online with SDPD. Before you park at a beach or trailhead, move bags and chargers to the trunk so nothing is visible.

Ocean and water risks

The ocean is a bigger day-to-day hazard than crime for most visitors. Swim near a staffed lifeguard tower and learn the signs of a rip in our rip current guide. Water quality is the other issue: the County issues advisories when samples exceed state bacteria standards and closures for known sewage spills. Cross-border Tijuana River flows mostly affect Imperial Beach, Silver Strand and Coronado. Check sdbeachinfo.com before you swim, and read should you swim after rain?.

Day trips to Tijuana

The US State Department rates Mexico overall at Level 2, Exercise increased caution, but Baja California is Level 3, Reconsider travel, because of crime and kidnapping. The advisory says most Tijuana homicides are targeted and happen outside tourist areas, though bystanders have been hurt, and advises staying on main highways. US government staff are told to avoid parts of the Mexicali Valley. Mexican outlet Expansión reported in August 2026 that the Level 3 rating still stands.