Immigration Has Decreased Crime, Upped Home Values in Southern California, New Study Shows

"A new study of Southern California trends to be released next week shows immigration has meant less crime and stable home values in the region.  The finding is one of many from a new University of California Irvine report.  The first Southern California Regional Progress Report looks at how different issues move together – such as housing density, crime, employment and ethnic/racial changes in population. The study covers five counties: Ventura, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside and Orange.  Professor John Hipp, with UCI’s school of social ecology, led the researcher team. He said there was no evidence over a 50-year period that immigration caused an increase in crime.  “Whether we looked at the 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000 or now, there was never evidence that cities with more immigrants have more crime at all, or any evidence that cities seeing an influx of immigrants saw increases in crime," said Hipp. "Just no evidence across any of those decades.”  Hipp said the year-long study did not make a distinction between legal or illegal immigration. ... The complete report will be released next Thursday, June 14." - KPPC, June 7, 2012.