Report: Homicide Rate Lowest Los Angeles Has Seen Since 1966
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The city of Los Angeles got a little bit safer in 2019 according to the Los Angeles Police Department's annual report.
Mayor Eric Garcetti, police Chief Michel Moore and other city leaders gathered Wednesday to highlight some of the stats from last year's report.
Overall, crime was down 7% last year from 2018, and the homicide rate dropped 3% to 253 — the lowest rate since 1966, and less than a quarter of the homicides the city saw in 1992 when killings peaked.
Both Moore and Garcetti said a bigger commitment to community engagement has been the key.
"When people know and trust officers to serve them, it makes the goals that they share — that neighborhoods would be free of gunshots and violence and crime — easier to reach together," Garcetti said.
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Moore said the decision to put 200 more officers back on the beat has been another key to success.
Other notable statistics from the report:
- Shootings were down 6% to just over 900 — the lowest number in 21 years
- Violent crimes were down about 6% to about 27,000
- Reported rapes dropped by about 23%
- Property crimes fell by 8%
