7% Rise in L.A. Crime Blamed Mostly on New Domestic Violence Reporting

Crime appears to be growing again in Los Angeles, Police Department figures for the first six months of the year indicated Monday, but officials attributed much of the increase in numbers to a new state law requiring officers to report all incidents of domestic violence and to make arrests.

If the domestic violence cases were subtracted, the current 7.1% increase in reported crimes would be only 2.8%, said Lt. Dan Cooke, department spokesman.

The effect of the new state law has been to sharply boost the number of aggravated assaults reported, particularly in some South Bureau divisions. In 77th Street Division, for example, the number of aggravated assaults reported for the first six months of this year totaled 1,902, compared to 1,110 for the same period last year. There were similar sharp increases in aggravated assault reports for Southwest and Southeast divisions.

Where many officers previously tried to settle domestic quarrels without taking official action, Cooke pointed out, “We are required by the new law to take reports and make arrests. It doesn’t leave us much alternative.”

The change was largely prompted by concerns over physical harm to women by husbands or boyfriends who frequently had drawn no more than police warnings, despite a pattern of violence and threatening behavior.

No Breakdown

Deputy Chief Jesse Brewer, commander of the South Bureau, said he was unable to estimate how much of the increase in aggravated assault reports was a result of the new law.

“The only thing I can say,” he said, “is that detectives handling crimes against persons did have a dramatic increase in their workload during the first six months. How much of that was domestic violence, I don’t know. Certainly, gang violence is still going on.”

Even a 2.8% increase suggested that Los Angeles may not be able to buck the national upward trend in reported crimes, as it did in 1985. At the mid-point a year ago, a total of 146,551 crimes had been reported citywide--only a dozen more than had been reported by June 30, 1984.

Los Angeles actually registered a 6.9% decrease in overall crimes for all of 1985, while the nation as a whole had a 4.6% increase.

New Figures

As of this June 30, 156,958 crimes had been reported in all Los Angeles Police Department divisions. The figure includes the aggravated assault cases that were not always reported.

The significance of a 2.8% increase for the first six months is not yet clear, Cooke noted, because “almost all crime peaks in March and April, then tails off during the summer.” Weather, economic fluctuations and other factors, he said, could affect the rise or fall in the numbers of crimes and arrests.

“Who knows what causes crime to go up?” he said. “Invariably, I’m asked whether it’s caused by Santa Ana winds or whether the full moon affects crime.”

Much of the local decrease for 1985, Cooke said, was because of emphasis on the breakup of street gangs, the arrest of gang leaders and sting operations, such as those by the West Side Major Crimes Task Force that put a crimp in the operations of theft rings.

LOS ANGELES CRIME REPORTS

These Los Angeles Police Department statistics compare reported crime for the first six months of 1986 (shown in bold type) with statistics from 1985. The figures are listed by police division.

South Crime Total Central Bureau Bureau Cent. Hollenb. Newton N.E. Ramp. Harbor Homicide 384 39 15 38 15 34 13 1/85-6/85 367 27 14 29 5 46 16 Rape 1,174 65 57 76 35 88 36 1/85-6/85 1,119 50 50 69 39 82 38 Robbery 14,074 1,691 453 895 355 1,065 381 1/85-6/85 13,987 1,276 478 854 377 1,159 320 Assault 16,095 910 561 1,302 517 1,503 590 1/85-6/85 9,882 720 454 813 351 827 405 Burglary 32,658 1,330 1,204 1,427 1,674 2,391 1,707 1/85-6/85 32,054 1,150 1,214 1,758 1,992 2,250 1,287

Crime South Bureau West Bureau S.W. 77th S.E. Holly. Pacific W.L.A. Wilshire Homicide 24 50 47 20 12 4 30 1/85-6/85 35 48 39 18 12 4 26 Rape 95 123 110 84 51 36 73 1/85-6/85 85 122 110 83 61 38 64 Robbery 1,256 1,548 962 918 658 471 1,469 1/85-6/85 1,429 1,361 937 1,016 663 572 1,632 Assault 1,150 1,902 1,385 837 584 336 1,130 1/85-6/85 795 1,110 798 531 398 199 531 Burglary 1,603 2,114 1,377 1,983 2,085 1,616 2,060 1/85-6/85 1,783 1,941 1,309 1,923 1,809 1,619 2,333

Crime Valley Bureau Devon. Foothill N.Holly. V.Nuys W.Val. Homicide 1 13 13 9 7 1/85-6/85 5 16 9 7 11 Rape 24 61 40 69 51 1/85-6/85 22 50 56 53 47 Robbery 218 443 335 582 374 1/85-6/85 202 401 384 549 377 Assault 351 891 651 867 619 1/85-6/85 216 530 370 483 351 Burglary 1,335 1,726 1,842 2,611 2573 1/85-6/85 1,455 1,795 1,747 2,364 2,325