CRIME DOWN IN L.A. : LATEST FIGURES BUCK POPULAR PERCEPTION.Byline: Lisa Van Proyen Daily News Staff Writer Crime in Los Angeles Crime in Los Angeles has been a major problem in Southern California and concern for Angeleno residents since the early 20th Century. Crime has steadily decreased since the 1990's but since 2006, crime has increased. and across the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. slipped to 1970s levels through Dec. 19, but still at least one person is killed on an average day, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. LAPD 1. LAPD - Link Access Procedure on the D channel. 2. LAPD - Los Angeles Police Department. figures released Monday. They include Jose Jimenez Jose Jimenez is the name of:
adj. Causing horror; terrifying. [Latin horrificus : horr  re, to tremble + -ficus, -fic. killing of Galdino Venegas, a 38-year-old
cook whose throat was slashed slash v. slashed, slash·ing, slash·es v.tr. 1. To cut or form by cutting with forceful sweeping strokes: slash a path through the underbrush. 2. during a takeover robbery at a San Pedro restaurant Dec. 13. These brutal slayings feed many people's belief that crime in Los Angeles remains high, even as the numbers tell a vastly different story. ``There's a perception that it's out of control, when in fact crime is down at least 50 percent from five years ago,'' said Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. police spokesman Lt. Anthony Alba. ``We have to do a better job of selling the decrease in crime.'' Mark Kleiman Mark A. R. Kleiman is an American political scientist, author, and who is Professor of Public Policy at the UCLA School of Public Affairs. Kleiman is a nationally recognized expert[1] in the field of crime and drug policy and the author of , a University of California, Los Angeles UCLA comprises the College of Letters and Science (the primary undergraduate college), seven professional schools, and five professional Health Science schools. Since 2001, UCLA has enrolled over 33,000 total students, and that number is steadily rising. , professor who specializes in crime control, blames this distorted perception on how TV news handles crime. ``The number of homicides are falling. But the number of news reports of homicides has actually been soaring,'' Kleiman said. ``People are terrified ter·ri·fy tr.v. ter·ri·fied, ter·ri·fy·ing, ter·ri·fies 1. To fill with terror; make deeply afraid. See Synonyms at frighten. 2. To menace or threaten; intimidate. .'' In fact, the drop in violent crime overall is significant in Los Angeles, Burbank and Glendale. Across Los Angeles, there were 410 homicides as of Dec. 26, as compared with 566 last year, according to the LAPD's Crime Analysis Section. In the early 1990s, the city logged about 1,300 murders annually - or some 3.5 a day on average. Crime fell 12.6 percent citywide and 10.8 percent in the Valley, from Jan. 1 through Dec. 19 this year, as compared with year-end figures in 1997, according to the LAPD's computerized computerized adapted for analysis, storage and retrieval on a computer. computerized axial tomography see computed tomography. crime analysis system. ``We're apparently in the 1973 era of crime numbers,'' said Detective Woodrow Parks, in charge of the administrative support unit at the Operations Valley Bureau in Van Nuys. The reasons Criminologists and police attribute the decline to a vibrant economy; stricter sentencing laws, including ``three strikes, you're out''; good police work; and fewer young men, the group traditionally responsible for most crime. Los Angeles County District Attorney Gil Garcetti Gilbert "Gil" Garcetti (b. August 5, 1941) served as Los Angeles County's 39th District Attorney for two terms, from 1992 until November 7, 2000. Background Gil Garcetti received a bachelor's degree in Management from the University of Southern California and a Juris warns that prosecutors and police must not be lured into complacency com·pla·cen·cy n. 1. A feeling of contentment or self-satisfaction, especially when coupled with an unawareness of danger, trouble, or controversy. 2. An instance of contented self-satisfaction. because the population of young men will bounce back by 2005. ``We need to focus on truants and first-time offenders . . . and programs to work with schools to identify the chronic truant and work with the child and parent,'' Garcetti said, adding that 78 percent of all convicted criminals are school dropouts. Stiffer sentencing laws send a strong message to would-be criminals that they will pay for even being connected to a crime, he said. They include a new law for 1998 that Garcetti's office sponsored, which toughens sentencing for people who are found to be present during a crime involving a gun. ``It will deter crime,'' Garcetti predicted. ``The gang members are talking about this because they are all facing life sentencing.'' Alba agreed that the police must redouble re·dou·ble v. re·dou·bled, re·dou·bling, re·dou·bles v.tr. 1. To double. 2. To repeat. 3. Games To double the doubling bid of (an opponent) in bridge. v. their efforts to address the roots of crime, not just the people who commit them. ``Prevention is every bit as important as arresting offenders,'' he said, adding that the department's goals include establishing programs for youngsters, including parenting classes, reading programs and Explorers. Fewer rapes, homicides Reports of rapes, which ominously om·i·nous adj. 1. Menacing; threatening: ominous black clouds; ominous rumblings of discontent. 2. Of or being an omen, especially an evil one. spiked in the Valley during the first half of the year, have fallen off since then, with the West Valley Division reporting the largest decline, 31 percent, police said. Reports of robberies also were down significantly citywide and in the Valley. The Devonshire Division reported the largest decrease, 224 fewer robberies - a 29 percent decline. Valleywide, homicides were down by about 11 percent, with Van Nuys logging the most substantial decline: nine slayings this year vs. 14 last year - or 36 percent below last year. However, Valley officials warn that the statistics do not reflect the last two weeks of 1998. The only LAPD Valley division reporting an increase was Devonshire, where 14 people were killed as of Dec. 19, compared with 11 for all of last year. Parks said Devonshire's figure could be attributed, at least in part, to an increase in gang crime there. Other cities see decline Reflecting a nationwide trend, the crime tally in cities around Los Angeles also were poised to hit levels not seen since the 1970s. In Glendale, the number of slayings fell by 60 percent, with two between Jan. 1 and November, compared with five during the same period in 1997. Overall violent crime in Glendale was down 20.2 percent. Theft-larceny was the only category that increased, by 3.1 percent - mainly stemming from break-ins of locked vehicles. The city of Burbank reported four killings from Jan. 1 through November, compared with zero murders in 1997. But the 25-year average has been five murders per year, said Burbank police Lt. Larry Koch. Overall violent crime in Burbank was down 15 percent, with 581 fewer crimes. ``Each one of the 581 represents an individual victim who didn't have to be victimized,'' Koch said. VALLEY CRIME Citywide, violent crime has dropped 12.6 percent. Valleywide, crime is down 10.8 percent. (includes domestic violence) CRIME DEVONSHIRE FOOTHILL NO. HOLLYWOOD VAN NUYS W. VALLEY HOMICIDES 1998 (x) 14 27 18 9 6 1997 (xx) 11 30 20 14 8 RAPES 1998 (x) 54 86 76 87 60 1997 (xx) 61 88 76 85 87 ROBBERIES 1998 (x) 539 586 619 883 643 1997 (xx) 763 694 796 935 792 (x) January 1 thru Dec. 19, 1998, according to preliminary LAPD FASTRAC figures. (xx) January 1 thru Dec. 31, 1997, according to LAPD Statistical Digest. CAPTION(S): Box BOX: VALLEY CRIME (see text) |
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