Los Angeles is an incredibly large and diverse city. The dataset we used had a wealth of information that we were able to pick apart and visually analyze with insightful results. Drawing conclusions about such a complex city influenced by countless factors is not easy, but the following findings serve as a useful reference for policymakers or NGOs nonetheless.
For criminals in LA, it’s go big or go home. 33.1% of crimes in Los Angeles are violent. That is high. In 2022 alone, there were 12,858 cases of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. These numbers show that a large portion of the crimes are severe by nature. Even looking at the non-violent crimes, it can be seen that vehicle theft is the most common, as opposed to smaller crimes such as petty theft or shoplifting. In fact, out of the top 10 most common non-violent crimes in 2022, shoplifting ranks last, behind the likes of grand theft and burglary. It is unlikely that these crimes are individual, spontaneous efforts. A high portion of crimes in LA were most likely carefully planned out and complex in their execution, suggesting the extensive presence of organized crime throughout the city. While this is not a new revelation, it still provides an accurate snapshot of the state of the city today, indicating to the authorities that this is a problem that still needs to be actively addressed.
When looking at the crime rates by LAPD district, there are some districts that make multiple appearances at the top of the list. For example, the Southeast district has the highest rate for both Homicides and Robberies by far. Also, out of 21 districts, it ranks 7th and 8th in sexual assault and battery/assault rates, respectively. The Central and 77th Street Districts also consistently rank high in crime rates for each category. One shocking find was that Hollywood and North Hollywood ranked 2nd and 3rd in sexual assault rate, only behind Central. This was very concerning considering the presence of the film industry in these districts and the celebrities/elites that work and live there. All of these patterns are incredibly beneficial for LAPD, as they can utilize them to identify which areas have high density for certain crimes and allocate resources effectively to reduce the rates in the worse areas.
Upon analyzing the trends in the racial profiles of crime victims, it can be determined that there are disparities in which races are affected by certain crimes. Some differences are only natural because they correspond to the demographic makeup of the population. However, some differences are not proportional to a race’s percentage of the population.
First of all, Black people make up roughly 8% of the population in Los Angeles, yet for each of the four crime types considered, they make up no less than 15.2% of the victims. The figure for murders is horrifying: 41.9% of murder victims are Black, second only by 3.9% to Latinos, who are already the most prevalent racial/ethnic demographic in the city. On the other hand, only 8.7% of murder victims are White, compared to the some 28% of Los Angeles residents who are White. This could be a sign of racially-motivated violence. It could indicate that Black people are more likely to be involved in the aforementioned issue of organized crime, whether on the attacking or receiving end - and this could very well vary by district. Whatever the case is, this alarming disparity should be addressed immediately by the authorities, and while the aim is always to reduce all crime, stopping and preventing the disproportionate killing of Black people should be a top priority.
These issues make up the major takeaways from our research, but the data will continue to maintain relevance as time goes on. New patterns may be discovered when combined with other data, and in future months or years, this same data can be used to analyze trends over time to see whether or not things are going in the right direction. Ultimately, this data will prove infinitely valuable to policymakers, LAPD, and leaders of NGOs, who can use the facts to make well-informed decisions to create a better future for the City of Los Angeles.