WeHo Crime Rate is Level, but Assaults and Robberies Remain High

The good news is that West Hollywood is one of the safest urban areas in Los Angeles County if you’re worrying about getting murdered or raped. On the other hand, if your concern is getting robbed or beaten up you might have something to worry about.

Preliminary data from a Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department report covering violent and property crimes through July 31 of this year show West Hollywood had 132 burglaries (a rate of 37.58 per 10,000 residents) during that period. Burglary is defined as entering a property without permission with the intent to commit a crime. Recent examples include a break in on Betty Way last month in which the burglars fled after discovering guests of the homeowners and a theft of property from a house on Norma Way in the Norma Triangle area. According to the Sheriff’s Station, no arrests have been made in either incident.

That means WeHo ranked seventh in burglaries among the 42 cities in L.A. County, including West Hollywood, that contract with the Sheriff’s Department for police services and also unincorporated areas of the County. City of Industry had a rate of 3,347.83 burglaries per 10,000 residents, followed by Marina del Rey (57.66), South El Monte (48.42), Commerce (42.28), Lancaster (42.02), Cerritos (41.36) and Malibu (38.15). Figures for the City of Industry aren’t very comparable given that it is home to more than 2,500 business but only 218 residents.

Another area where West Hollywood ranked relatively high was larceny, which is defined as taking someone else’s belongings without his or her permission. With 630 reported larcenies through July 31, West Hollywood had 179.34 incidents per 10,000 residents. It ranked fourth, with the areas ahead of it being the City of Industry with 918,608.7 incidents per 10,000 residents, followed by the unincorporated area served by the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station (1,389.29) and Commerce (342.87).

West Hollywood ranked fourth in robberies, which are defined as taking someone’s possessions from his person or in front of him. That differs from larceny, a theft in which the person being stolen from doesn’t have to be present. West Hollywood had 46 incidents, for a ranking of 13.09 per 10,000 residents. Ahead of WeHo were the City of Industry (565.22) Compton (19.12), the unincorporated area near Century City (18.76) and the unincorporated area around Lawndale (17.76).

West Hollywood ranked fifth in aggravated assault, defined as an attack by one person on another with the intent of inflicting pain. There were 93 aggravated assaults reported through July 31, an incidence of 26.47 per 10,000 residents. Ranking higher than WeHo were the City of Industry (608.7), the unincorporated area around Lawndale (42.49), the unincorporated area around Compton (39.99), Compton itself (36.62),

Overall, violent and property crimes in West Hollywood were down one percent compared to the first seven months of 2014 and down 3.3 percent from the same period in 2010. The city experienced only one murder. There were 10 reported rapes, an increase from two in the first seven months of 2014. But the incidence remained low at 2.79 per 10,000 residents. The city also saw a 36.7 percent reduction in incidents of arson, with seven reported through July 31 this year.

West Hollywood City Council members have attributed the city’s crime rates to the fact that it is a major destination for nightlife visitors.