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Los Angeles has seen double-digit declines in homicides, nonfatal shootings and homicides related to gang conflicts so far this year, according to police data released Tuesday. City officials touted the numbers as evidence of improving public safety after concerns about criminally motivated voters in November’s election.
Mayor Karen Bass highlighted the numbers Tuesday during an early morning news conference at the Watts Labor Community Action Committee Center, an employment and social services nonprofit. Bass said 266 people had died citywide by the first week of December, a 15% decrease compared to the same period in 2023.
The decline was even more dramatic when compared to numbers for 2022, when violence subsided after the first two years of the pandemic, with a 28% drop. The latest statistics show that the number of fatal shootings has fallen by nearly 19% compared to 2023, and gang-related homicides have fallen by more than 50%.
The mayor attributed the decline to increased collaboration between Los Angeles Police Department officers and community members in areas affected by violence. She also praised aggressive enforcement efforts, including the creation of a retail store busting task force that led to hundreds of arrests and the recovery of more than $60 million in stolen merchandise.
“What we’ve proven this year is that when crime happens in our city, we don’t wait, we take action,” Bass said, adding that interventionist efforts and effective He also praised community programs such as Summer Night Lights. To quell gang beef and prevent violence.
Los Angeles Police Department’s new Chief Jim McDonnell said he is encouraged by declining crime statistics despite the department’s staffing woes.
“These numbers represent lives saved, families protected and communities given an opportunity to heal and thrive,” he said.
Donnie Joubert, head of the Watts Gang Task Force, said there is a sense of continued calm, especially in some public housing developments in the area, and police guidance has previously been dominated by updates on recent gun violence. A press conference by the authorities said that the focus is now on more routine crimes. .
“We’re talking about maybe a few cars being broken into, but that’s a big deal. There were no shots fired,” he said.
Similarly, dramatic declines in violent crime from highs early in the pandemic have been reported in national surveys and data from 500 to 1,000 local police departments.
Despite statistics showing that murders and other serious crimes are on the decline, recent election results show that the public remains concerned about safety – the perception that the city is unsafe. . After a campaign focused on crime, voters also gave a big thumbs up to Proposition 36, a crime enforcement measure that would oust progressive prosecutors in Los Angeles and Alameda counties and extend prison sentences for some theft and drug offenses. It was approved.
Criminologists say the reasons for the rise and fall in crime are complex and that police data only provides a snapshot in time.
LAPD officials themselves have warned that year-over-year comparisons for certain types of crimes are nearly impossible since the city switched to a new record-keeping system earlier this year.
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