Crime: Arithmetic in Computing Homicides

The cover story on crime in your Westside section on Feb 12 (“Crime Takes a Fall) had an error. In your table titled “Tracking a Two-Year Trend” you said that the homicide rate in Beverly Hills increased 300% between 1992 and 1994. In 1992 there were zero homicides. In 1994 there were three; 300% of zero is still zero. Instead, you should have said that the homicide rate went up an infinite amount. I hope that in 1995 there will be no homicides, that way you can say the rate dropped an infinite amount!

SARI BETH EITCHES

Beverly Hills