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Assaults On Police Rise In LA This Year

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Despite a reduction in violent crime, Los Angeles police say there has been a spike this year in both assaults on officers and officer-involved shootings.

Police Chief Charlie Beck recently told the city's Police Commission that assaults on officers have gone up nearly 27 percent compared to 2010 and officer-involved shootings have risen 58 percent over the same time frame.

Beck said quicker response times may have led to more confrontations between officers and suspects, but police are unsure why the numbers have gone up this year.

The FBI has reported assaults on officers have been trending down nationally the past few years, although no statistics have been made available for 2011.

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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