Despite recent violent incidents, crime is dropping in downtown LA

A string of violent crimes in downtown L.A. recently has raised concern over safety in the increasingly popular neighborhood, but area crime has actually fallen slightly so far this year

As of March 26, violent crime was down 0.3 percent downtown compared to this time last year. Citywide, violent crime is up 13 percent.

That's a shift from last year, when LAPD's Central Division, which encompasses downtown saw a 50 percent jump in violence crime over 2014. The rest of the city saw a 20 percent increase and Central Division's was the biggest jump.

And in recent weeks, residents have suffered a string of highly publicized violent crimes.

On March 17, Jesse Ramirez was waiting for a bus after work near Seventh and San Pedro Streets when an assailant began asking him questions about gang affiliation, then stabbed him in broad daylight.

A transgender woman, Kourtney Yochum, was fatally shot outside her apartment near the intersection of Fifth and San Pedro Streets on March 23. A suspect was taken into custody.

And an elderly man was assaulted and left in critical condition near Grand Avenue on April 2. The man was taken to a hospital and the suspect, described as a mentally ill homeless man, was stopped by a security guard working nearby.

The attacks, which all occurred in daylight, are alarming, but not necessarily out of the ordinary considering the area’s trends, said Lieutenant Andy Mathes with LAPD’s Central Division.

“Downtown’s growing tremendously which means there’s more people here to be victimized,” Mathes said.

Mathes said a host of other factors are also contributed to last year's crime rise.

“There’s violent crime that occurs anytime you have narcotics use and sales,” Mathes said.

Mathes attributes some increased drug sales downtown to reduced sentences for drug offenses from the passage of Proposition 47.

The law was passed by voters in 2014 and, as its supporters hoped, it resulted in a big drop in jail populations.

Criminologists have said it's too early to know whether the proposition has impacted the crime rate.

UC Irvine criminologist Charis Kurbin told KPCC Proposition 47 has not been sufficiently studied to draw any conclusions as to its effects.

But like many law enforcement officials, Mathes feels the change of regulations has made his job more difficult. As have a growing number of tents on Skid Row, which he said gives drug users and dealers more places to hide.

“We take guns out of tents with alarming regularity now whereas 10 or 15 years ago it was somewhat of an anomaly now we’re seeing it all the time,” he said.

Recent action by Los Angeles City Council will limit what homeless people can have on public sidewalks. Opponents have said the City Council ordinance criminalizes homelessness.