LAPD Interim Chief Dominic Choi discusses crime trends in Los Angeles

LAPD Interim Chief Dominic Choi recently addressed the media at a press conference held at the U.S. Courthouse in Los Angeles, where he shared some concerning statistics regarding crime trends in the city. While property crime has seen a decrease of 4.1% and violent crimes have also decreased by 7%, there has been an alarming increase in homicides, robberies, and burglaries.

According to Choi, homicides have spiked by 9.3%, with the majority of incidents occurring in LAPD’s South Bureau. The interim chief assured the Board of Police Commissioners that efforts are being made to address this surge in violent crime. On a positive note, the number of victims being shot has decreased for the second consecutive week.

Total robberies have seen a significant increase of 10.5%, but robberies involving firearms have decreased from 12% to 2.3%, thanks to the department’s focused efforts on combating these types of crimes. Burglaries have also seen a slight uptick of 0.4%, with residential burglaries increasing by 1.8% and commercial burglaries decreasing by 1.3%.

On the other hand, motor vehicle thefts have slightly decreased from 9.6% to 5.5%. Choi mentioned that Kias, Chevrolets, and Hyundais are among the top targets for car thieves in the city. As of April 22, the LAPD has 8,832 sworn officers, 2,645 civilian personnel, and 443 reserve officers.

While the statistics may be troubling, Chief Choi remains hopeful that the department’s ongoing efforts to combat crime and apprehend perpetrators will lead to a continued decrease in violent incidents in the future.