There is still way too much crime in California and in the Bay Area in particular. Perhaps violent crime from juveniles is down; but my observation as a decade-long SF resident is that crime overall is certainly not getting better, and it certainly seems to be getting worse. Muggings, break-ins, theft, etc. are absolutely rampant. The authorities couldn't give two shits about preventing, investigating, or prosecuting it.

Some anecdotes:

I've personally been mugged at gunpoint in Oakland. I luckily managed to hold on to my cellphone and called 911 right away. The police showed up right away, but only cared to take a statement and left without going after the perpetrators, or even giving us a ride to somewhere safe.

The only other time I called 911 because a woman collapsed on the street in front of me. She was bleeding from the head and making a scary-looking pool of blood. It took 45min for an ambulance to show up, in downtown San Francisco, around noon on a weekend day (no traffic).

The authorities are entirely useless and unreliable.

It's almost as if the article is equating less crime being prosecuted as less crime existing. There's a big issue with that.

I feel like we need much tougher police that actually prevents and prosecutes all types of crime, including rampant petty theft, car break-ins, muggings, shootings (which are common), harassment by deranged drug-addicts all over the streets, etc. etc.