L.A. Unsafe for Women, Leader of Commission Says

Los Angeles is unsafe for women, the executive director of the city’s Commission on the Status of Women said Friday.

At one of a series of public hearings sponsored by the commission, leader Paula Petrotta said: “When we ask, ‘Is Los Angeles a safe place for women?’ the answer is a resounding no.”

Last year, the Los Angeles Police Department responded to more than 52,000 domestic violence calls, 13,307 of which involved aggravated assault. Nearly 1,300 rapes were reported citywide in 1999, according to the commission.

The number of prosecutions involving forcible sexual crimes was up 12% during the first five months of this year compared with same period last year, according to the city attorney’s office.

“We need to have public policies that really take into account the lives of women and girls,” Petrotta said.

The commission is calling on the United States to sign a treaty called the “Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.” The United Nations adopted it in 1979, and more than 160 countries have signed it.

The Los Angeles City Council voted to adopt the treaty earlier this year.

The hearings aim to examine a range of issues facing women, from health and education to economic discrimination and employment. The goal is to collect input on how the city can better deliver services to women.

Friday’s hearing on violence was the first of a series, with three more to be held by August. No times or places have been announced.