Homicides in L.A. Are Up 15% This Year, Police Report Says

Violent crime in Los Angeles is on the rise again this year, with homicides up 15% through mid-March, according to statistics released Wednesday by the Los Angeles Police Department.

The increase comes in the wake of a 7.2% rise last year in violent crimes, including a 27.5% increase in homicides. The increase follows a steady eight-year decline in serious crime in Los Angeles.

The 2001 statistics were made public at a news conference hosted by Police Chief Bernard C. Parks in which he commented on the crime surge in Los Angeles and other major cities across the state last year. A report released by state Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer showed a 3.5% increase in serious crime in 2000 in the state’s major cities.

Parks said it is not easy to determine why the crime rate fluctuates.

“When you are dealing with crime, the last thing you want to do is come up with a simple answer to a very complex problem,” he said.

The large increase in crime last year was the result of a spike that began last spring and later declined, he said.

“We’re aware there had been a noticeable increase in crime since about March or April of last year,” Parks said. “Since September 2000, we have seen a noticeable decrease in crime.”

A mass redeployment of officers from desk duty and special investigative units to patrol duty in September was meant to combat rising crime, Parks said.

But so far this year, the numbers do not seem to point to an improvement in the crime rate.

Through March 17, there were 90 homicides reported, compared with 78 during the same period last year, according to LAPD statistics.

Overall violent crime has risen by 4.5% so far this year.

Robberies have increased by 7.1% this year, and aggravated assaults are also up by 3.8%.

Rapes, however, are down 17.2% this year, from 273 to 226.

Before the increase in crime last year, the city was nearing lows not seen in 30 years, Parks said. “That spike came after 99 months of consecutive crime reduction.”

In the state’s most populous cities last year, the homicide rate increased by 3.9% and forcible rapes were up 6.6%.

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Homicide Rate Jumps

The homicide rate in Los Angeles increased by 27.5% in 2000, after dropping for several years. Here are the numbers of homicides reported each month last year and year-to-date figures for 2001 and the same period last year:

Source: LAPD