Valleywide : Homicides Rise 21% for 1st Half of Year

Homicides increased 21% in the San Fernando Valley for the first half of the year, according to Los Angeles Police Department statistics.

Overall, the Valley’s crime rate increased less than 1%, compared to a citywide drop of 8.7%.

The number of Valley homicides rose from 38 for the first six months of last year to 46 for the same period this year, due in part to an increase in gang-related slayings, police said. Citywide murders have dropped 6.6% this year.

The Foothill Division reported the highest homicide rate, with 13 killings, followed by the Van Nuys Division with 11 and the West Valley Division with nine, police said.

Though homicides rose in the Valley, all other types of violent crimes dipped slightly in the first six months of the year. Rapes decreased by 4.2%, robberies by 5.3% and aggravated assaults by .2%.

Violent crimes grew 7.1% in the Van Nuys Division--the highest anywhere in the Valley--followed by the Foothill Division, where such crimes rose 2.5%.

Burglaries and auto thefts also dipped slightly, though overall property crimes increased 1.4% in the Valley.

The Devonshire Division experienced the largest jump in property crimes, where 6,580 incidents represent an 18.3% increase over the previous year, including a 10.2% jump in burglaries and a 13.2% rise in auto thefts.