Compared to the 2,633 violent crimes reported at this point in 2020, Los Angeles has so far, in 2022, reported 2,752 violent crimes; an increase of just over 4%. The number of REPORTED violent crimes in Los Angeles in 2021 was 30,078; the city's crime rate was 804.28 per 100,000 people.
Experts say the crime surge in Los Angeles reflects a national trend that began during the pandemic. A study by the National Commission on Covid-19 and Criminal Justice found that homicide rates in 2020 jumped 30% from the previous year across 34 cities.
The chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime in Los Angeles is 1 in 33. Based on FBI crime data, Los Angeles is not one of the safest communities in America. Relative to California, Los Angeles has a crime rate that is higher than 83% of the state's cities and towns of all sizes.
In reality, LA is in fact a safe city to visit, with most tourist attractions and popular sites situated within affluent neighborhoods overlooking the ocean.
There is a higher crime rate in LA than in NYC. According to the 2021 reports, violent crimes, including murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault, LA scored 29.1, and NYC has 28.2. And, for property crimes, including burglary, theft, and arson, LA stood at 35.1 and NYC at 24.9.
Through April 30, there had been 122 homicides in L.A., six more than were recorded during the same time period in 2021, according to the data. Last year ended with 397 killings in the city, the largest annual total since 2006.
Crime in Los Angeles has varied throughout time, reaching peaks between the 1970s and 1990s. Since the early 2020s, crime has increased in Los Angeles as well as elsewhere in the United States. *Number of reported crimes per 100,000 population.
“Beverly Hills is one of the most affluent, safest neighborhoods in the world and now everyone is scared,” Sedghi said.
With 64.54 murders per 100,000 residents, St. Louis had the highest murder rate for any major American city in 2019.
Frisco, TX
With just over 200,000 residents, Frisco is the safest city in America according to our metrics. Located approximately 30 miles north of Dallas, Frisco has the fifth-lowest violent crime rate across our study, with 86 violent crimes reported per 100,000 residents.
Emeryville
Emeryville is the number one most dangerous city in California. Emeryville has a population of 12,104 people and has a total crime rate of 18,192 crimes per 100,000 people.
For 2020, California's violent crime rate ranked 16th nationwide and was higher than the national rate of 387 per 100,000 residents. While robbery and rape decreased, homicides increased by 30% and aggravated assaults went up by 7.5%.
In L.A. County, of the 11,244 homicides committed in an 11-year span, 4,862 — or 46 percent — remain unsolved, according to an analysis of law enforcement data.
While robberies overall have decreased by 12.7% this year compared to 2019, last week had the highest number of robberies for the entire year, with about 200 reported, Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore said Tuesday. The vast majority of the 200 robberies reported last week were street robberies, Moore added.
Marina Del Rey
This upscale waterside community hosts creative communities and tech businesses based in Venice. It's one of the safest and quietest Los Angeles neighborhoods to call home.
Danville, CA comes in as the safest city in California. Located in Contra Costa County, it has a lower population than Rancho Santa Margarita but a higher one than Moorpark (no. 2 and 3 on the list), at about 44 000 residents. In 2020, it was named the safest town in California and is so again in 2022.
Los Angeles is overall a very safe city, with extremely rich and safe neighborhoods and extremely dangerous ones that balance each other out. You are advised to remain vigilant around tourist landmarks, since pickpockets are an issue there, and keep an eye out for suspicious activities wherever you go.