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'Bad News', LA: Violent, Property Crime Up For First Time In Nearly A Decade

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — In what Mayor Eric Garcetti called "bad news", Angelenos saw a sharp jump in violent and property crime in Los Angeles during the first half of 2015, officials said Wednesday.

Overall, violent and property crimes spiked by 12.7 percent, while violent crime rose over 20 percent overall in the first six months of the year, compared with the same period last year, according to Los Angeles Police Department data.

The figures marked the first time in about a decade that overall crime has risen in the city.

Joined by LAPD Chief Charlie Beck at the Police Administration Building in downtown L.A., Garcetti said a ramped-up domestic violence response teem and additional back-up officers should help stem the crime rise.

In the violent crime category, homicide fell 6.7 percent, but rape was up nearly 8 percent, robbery up 16.6 percent and aggravated assaults increased by 26.3 percent.

Property crimes were up by almost 11 percent, police said. Burglary saw a 15.8 percent jump, while auto theft was up 13.8 percent and larceny up by 8.9 percent.

Both Beck and Garcetti acknowledged the increase could be linked to higher rates of domestic violence and homelessness in L.A.

"We're doing something about it," the mayor said. "It's still a safe city, but we want to make it even safer."

The response includes a back-up unit stationed out of the Metropolitan Division that will be boosted by 200 officers by the end of the year to offer police support across the city.

(©2015 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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