One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
The Good News Is, We're Killing Each Other Less These Days
Some figures released by California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today indicate that the homicide rate has gone down 9.6% statewide, and is at its lowest since 1966. Further, California saw a 6.4% overall decline in violent crimes.
The figures represent data gathered by the Department of Justice from the state's largest jurisdictions for 2010. Harris attributes the work of law enforcement for the drop in the statistics: "The decline in homicides and other violent crimes reflects the tireless efforts of our peace officers," notes Harris in a release from her office.
The data is part of a preliminary report on crime in 2010, and is being considered an update to the report "Crime in California 2009." That report showed a 9% decline in the homicide rate between 2008 and 2009, which represented a fourth consecutive year of decline. However, in that same period, the number of gang-related homicides increased 18%; ultimately, in 2009, 40% of all homicides in California included gang-related circumstances as attribution.
The 2010 figures are preliminary, however, for a closer look at the annual crime reports, including homicide, the Attorney General has all of the reports available online.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
