Murders and other violence are down significantly in Los Angeles, despite hte recession, reports USA Today. The number of murders in Los Angeles fell by nearly a third in the first three months of this year compared with the same period in 2008. The 70 people killed in the first quarter of 2009 compare with 101 homicides in the first quarter of last year.
Total violent crimes were down nearly 5%, LAPD figures show. Overall property crimes were down, too. Police Chief William Bratton says some expected crime to go up during hard economic times, and Southern California has been in a recession longer than most of the rest of the country. “We’re not experiencing any increase in crime having to do with the economy, nor do I expect we will,” he said. The declines accelerate a more than six-year downward trend in Los Angeles, according to the city’s crime statistics. Bratton credits the decrease to his management staff and police officers. “It’s due to us, the police,” Bratton said. “Very specifically, how we police.”