Rina Palta

Nationwide, crime has declined massively over the past two decades. And there are plenty of theories on why crime has dropped so much.

If the statistics hold through the end of Tuesday, Los Angeles will see crime decline for the eleventh straight year in 2013.

LA County probation says many kids in custody perform well in juvenile camps, but too many go home and return to juvenile court. Officials seek to lower the recidivism rate by helping ease the transition.

The Victims Compensation Program awarded two grants to groups in Los Angeles County Thursday to bring medical and mental health services to crime victims.

Five indictments involving 18 deputies sparked questions over how to effectively oversee the department that runs the largest jail system in the United States.

L.A. County social workers say their strike was a last resort after petitioning for months for lower caseloads. Officials say they're already hiring more social workers.

The union representing about 4,000 social workers in LA County says the county won't hire more employees to deal with under-staffing and unmanageable caseloads.

Negotiations have broken down, at least temporarily, between county executives and the union representing county child welfare workers.

A pair of researchers say the transformation of an L.A. youth camp could set a new paradigm for juvenile justice in the county.

Child welfare workers staged a protest outside the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors a day before the social workers' union returns to contract talks with the county.

Amid a growing homeless population and dwindling resources, L.A.'s winter shelters open Sunday for the rainier, colder winter season.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Justin Cham is tasked with easing the transition for employees serving military deployments. On Thanksgiving, that means food.