In his final press conference on the topic before being termed out, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced violent crimes in Los Angeles have dropped 12.5 percent in the first half of 2013, for an overall decline of almost 50 percent since he took office eight years ago.
"It's no small feat," Villaraigosa said Friday at Los Angeles Police Department headquarters.
Police Chief Charlie Beck described the achievement as unprecedented, and attributed it largely to the outgoing mayor's steadfast commitment -- even during the Great Recession -- to expand the LAPD during his tenure.
"There has never been a time in recorded history where crime has dropped this precipitously in the city," Beck said.
Dan Schnur, director of the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics at USC, agreed Villaraigosa deserved credit.
"If you compare the drop in violent crime here in L.A. against the challenges that the nations' other largest cities are facing, it's clear Villaraigosa's efforts have made a significant difference," he said.
But Robert Stern, former president of the Center for Governmental Studies, noted L.A.'s falling crime rate was not unique.
"If L.A.'s crime rate had gone down while everyone else's had gone up, then there's really something going on here in L.A.," Stern said. "I think we're just doing a better job of policing across the country, using more up-to-date tactics."
"I'd certainly give Villaragiosa a good grade but it's clear he's not the only reason," Stern added. "He certainly didn't stand in the way, and maybe he was of some help."
When Villaraigosa came to City Hall in 2005, Los Angeles had 9,284 sworn officers. It now has 10,023.
Beck said the expansion was crucial.
"If your policing is based on just answering 9-1-1 calls, you'll never make progress," he said. "Having a 10,000-member police department allows us to get ahead of crime."
Beck said the mayor's public safety strategy was effective because it also included diverting at-risk youth from gangs; recruiting gang members to prevent conflicts between rival gangs from flaring up; and handing out grocery store gift cards in exchange for guns.
He said the mayor's efforts to reform schools in poor neighborhoods also helped.
"I can post cops on corners and make crime go away while they stand there, but what you want to do is make crime go away when the cops are not there," Beck said. "What you want to do is create a space that doesn't require constant police presence and that's what we've been able to do."
With Beck and his predecessor, William Bratton, at the helm, the LAPD has become a more professional, modern and diverse organization -- far different from the one placed on a federal consent decree following the Rampart corruption scandal.
LAPD statistics released Friday showed 7,600 violent crimes from January through most of June -- or half as many as during the same period in 2005, when Villaraigosa became mayor.
Over the last eight years, the number of homicides, robberies and rapes slid 40 to 45 percent; aggravated assaults, 50 percent; gang crimes, 50 percent; and property crimes, 30 percent.
"Think back eight years. If somebody had told you then that we would cut violent and gang crime in half in the city of Los Angeles during the mayor's two terms, nobody here would have supported that as a possibility -- and yet it has happened," Beck said.
christina.villacorte@dailynews.com
(c)2013 the Daily News (Los Angeles)
Visit the Daily News (Los Angeles) at www.dailynews.com
Distributed by MCT Information Services
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.