Menifee saw an increase in crime during the first half of 2026 compared with the same period last year, according to new police data.
The Menifee Police Department reported almost 1,600 crimes involving people, property and offenses such as drug and weapons violations from January through June. The total is up more than 19 percent from the same period in 2025, when the department reported more than 1,330 crimes.
Menifee Police Chief Dave Gutierrez presented the data to the Menifee City Council on Wednesday as part of the department’s quarterly update.
Crimes against people increased over 30 percent, while property crimes increased almost 15 percent. Crimes involving drug, weapons and warrant violations increased 19 percent.
Among the most common crimes reported, simple assaults increased from 196 during the first half of 2025 to 239 this year, while vandalism increased from 107 to 167. Drug, narcotic and equipment violations increased from 199 to 245.
Shoplifting was one area that saw a decrease, falling from 121 cases during the first half of 2025 to 88 this year.
“Our problem-oriented policing team and patrol officers are really focusing their efforts on trying to reduce some of those instances throughout our community,” Gutierrez said.
Police also reported a 40 percent increase in proactivity, including traffic and pedestrian stops, building checks and extra patrols. Traffic stops accounted for the largest increase, with officers conducting over 1,250 more stops than during the same period last year.
“Certainly, the more contacts we’re doing proactively, the more citations that will be written, the more individuals that we will come across that are on probation or parole and have something on them or doing something that’s a violation of their terms and conditions,” Gutierrez said.
Calls for service also increased. Of those calls, 236 were related to e-bikes.
Gutierrez said the department began specifically tracking e-bike calls in September 2025, so comparable numbers from the first half of last year are not available.
Traffic collisions also increased during the first half of the year. Police took reports for 455 collisions, compared with 315 during the same period in 2025.
Gutierrez said police use collision data to focus enforcement in areas where crashes are occurring most often.
“We’re out there trying, and we’re going to keep it up,” Gutierrez said. “And we just ask the community for their help and drive the speed limit and pay attention and stay off those phones.”
