Westwood crime rate increases 22 pct. in 2015, first spike since 2003
By Madeleine Pauker
Jan. 21, 2016 2:20 a.m.
Criminal activity in Westwood increased by 22 percent in 2015, the first increase in crime rates since 2003, police officials said.
Thefts and robberies account for most of the increase, said Chris Ragsdale, the Los Angeles Police Department’s lead officer for Westwood, at last week’s Westwood Neighborhood Council meeting. The Westwood Neighborhood Council meets monthly to discuss issues relevant to Westwood and surrounding areas.
Westwood’s crime increase in 2015 follows a citywide trend over the past year with Los Angeles’ crime rate rising to its highest since 2009, said Mayor Eric Garcetti in a press conference last week.
Westwood crime rates also align with West Los Angeles crime rates, which saw a 12 percent increase in theft from motor vehicles and a 7 percent increase in burglaries. West Los Angeles crime rates rose in every category except homicide, which fell by 50 percent, and grand theft auto, which fell by 5 percent, said Greg Davis, a burglary detective with LAPD’s West Los Angeles division.
Westwood community leaders said they plan to issue information about the most common forms of theft to address the increase in property crime.
Sandy Brown, president of the Holmby Westwood Property Owners Association and member of the Westwood Neighborhood Council, said the property owners association warns its members against leaving personal belongings unattended. Brown added she thinks residents are responsible for keeping their belongings safe.
“The only action we can take is constantly remind people to be aware of what’s going on,” she said.
Roozbeh Farahanipour, a Westwood Neighborhood Council member, said he thinks the homeless population is responsible for the increase in Westwood property theft.
Davis said violent assaults were not being properly recorded and categorized before 2015. He added a citywide change in the categorization of crimes contributed to increased rates in some categories.
LAPD reformed its crime recording process after a Los Angeles Times investigation found LAPD misclassified 1,200 violent crimes over a one-year period that ended in September 2013.
In 2014, LAPD began to require officers undergo more training in classifying crimes and held supervising officers accountable for correcting errors.
Davis said West Los Angeles gang members commit more daytime burglaries than street robberies because they are less likely to be caught. Burglars target houses during the day, when residents are likely to be away from their homes.
In 2014, Proposition 47 reclassified certain property crimes as misdemeanors so perpetrators would serve less jail time than they had before.
Davis said police departments are responding to the increased crime rates by assigning more officers to cover common crimes. He added West Los Angeles police assigned teams of officers that aim to prevent vehicle-related crimes and probation violations.
“(Officers) are working undercover to catch people trying to break into cars, in underground structures or on the streets,” he said.
Contributing reports by Guillaume Kosmala, Bruin contributor.
