WEST HOLLYWOOD—According to a report released by West Hollywood’s Public Safety Commission, crime rates are down an overall 18 percent from last year.
The report, compiled by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, tracked the frequency of “Part I” crimes in May 2015 and compared the rates to those from May 2014. Part I crimes, also called index crimes or serious crimes, consist of two types of crimes: violent and property crimes. Murder, aggravated assault, robbery and rape are considered violent crimes; burglary, motor vehicle theft, and arson are classified as property crimes.
A total of 136 Part I crimes were reported for the whole city, the majority of which occurred on the city’s west end, which is best known for its bars and active nightlife scene. A total of 61 or 45 percent of reported crimes were committed on the west end of the city. Of those crimes, petty theft was the most common, with 23 reported incidents.
Petty theft was also the most common crime reported in the city’s east side, with 25 reported incidents out of the district’s total 46.
The city center saw the lowest percentage of reported crime, with only 29 total incidents. The most common crime was vehicle burglary, with a total of 11 incidents. Petty theft was the second most common crime, with 10 incidents reported.
Vehicle burglaries were down the most from last year—across the city, there were only 26 incidents reported in May 2015, as opposed to the 41 reported in 2014. This year there were no reported cases of armed robbery, as compared to 5 last year.
Petty theft and strong-arm robbery were both up slightly. There were 58 incidents of petty theft and seven incidents of strong-arm robbery compared to 2014’s 57 and 4, respectively. Rape and homicide were also up from last year, with one reported case of each.
Other crime rates, like those for aggravated assault, grand theft auto, and residence burglary, remained comparable from this year to last.
The report can be accessed from the Public Safety Commission page on the City of West Hollywood’s official website.
