First-Quarter Crime Figures Show a Decline

Homicides decreased by 16% in Los Angeles during the first quarter of 1988 from the same period last year, the Police Department reported Friday.

LAPD statistics also showed a 22% decrease in reported rapes and an overall decline of 1.3% in major crimes reported citywide during the first quarter of this year.

Officials said it is still too early to determine whether the crime decrease is attributable to the Police Department’s continuing crackdown on street gangs. Since late February, the department has conducted a series of task force sweeps in which 200 to 1,000 officers have targeted gang members for arrest. Of the 3,013 mostly misdemeanor arrests made so far during the sweeps, 1,991 have involved admitted or suspected gang members.

“I’m certain the sweeps have helped, but I can’t really draw a scientific conclusion yet,” said LAPD spokesman Lt. Fred Nixon. “It’s a little too soon to draw a conclusion. . . . But we do welcome the downward trend.”

Specifically, 170 homicides were reported for the first quarter of 1988, compared to 202 for the same period last year. For the first quarter of 1986, 140 homicides were reported.

Of the killings in the first quarter of this year, 56 were gang-related, compared to 52 in 1987, authorities said.

While reported rapes declined, from 603 to 465, aggravated assaults increased, from 8,208 to 8,883.

Robberies decreased from 6,813 to 6,587, and there was a similar decline in burglaries, from 14,811 to 13,327.

The only section of the city in which major crime increased was the San Fernando Valley, where auto thefts and burglaries from autos rose dramatically.

The total number of major crimes reported citywide was 77,180 for the first quarter, compared to 78,172 last year.

Major crime has also decreased slightly in areas of Los Angeles County patrolled by the Sheriff’s Department, from 27,738 first-quarter incidents to 27,512.

But sheriff’s spokesmen reported an increase in homicides during the first quarter of the year--73 compared to 61 for the same period last year. Of the 73, 31 were deemed gang related, compared to 19 in the quarter last year.

A DROP IN CRIME

While most major crimes decreased in the first quarter, compared with the same period last year, aggravated assaults accounted for the greatest increase:

CRIME 1987 1988 % CHANGE Homicide 202 170 -15.8 Rape 603 465 -22.9 Aggravated Assault 8,208 8,883 8.2 Robbery 6,813 6,587 -3.3 Auto Theft 16,450 16,129 -0.2