Incidents of serious crime in West Hollywood increased 14 percent in August compared to the same month the year before.
A report by the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station showed 147 Part 1 crimes in August. Part 1 crimes are defined as those against people and property such as aggravated assault, robbery and arson.
Vehicle burglaries accounted for the largest number of crimes, with 23 in August compared to 19 in August 2014. The Eastside area experienced the greatest number of such incidents with 12, up 71 percent from seven in August 2014. The number of burglaries declined sharply, from nine to four, on the Westside. Thefts or attempted thefts of motor vehicles were up substantially, with nine reported this past August compared to two the year before, an increase of 350 percent. Five of those occurred on the city’s Westside and three on the Eastside.
Assaults accounted for the greatest number of crimes against people, with 15 in August 2015, a 36 percent increase from August 2014. The largest number of assaults (seven) took place on the Westside, with no increase from August 2014. The biggest percentage increase was on the Eastside, where five assaults represented a 150 percent increase from the year before.
Other violent crimes that increased were strong arm robberies (seven incidents, up 250 percent) and armed robberies (six incidents, up 50 percent). The city experienced two rapes in August, compared to zero in August 2014.
Grand theft, defined as the theft of property valued at more than $950, showed the biggest decrease, with 16 incidents in August 2015 compared to 25 the year before, a decline of 36 percent. Home burglaries were down 25 percent, with 12 this year compared to 16 in August 2014, as were burglaries of other buildings, which were down to six in August 2015 compared to eight in August 2014.
The city’s Westside and Eastside experienced close to the same number of serious crimes in August, with 57 and 58 respectively, up 14 and 23 percent. The Center City area had 32 reported crimes, the same number as in August 2014.
Lt. David Smith of the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station told the city’s Public Safety Commission last night that 21 of the 23 vehicle burglaries in August involved thieves smashing a window to steal something inside a car. Smith warned that drivers should conceal any valuables before leaving a car.
As one of the points making up the 23 in the Vehicular Burglary statistic, I’ll mention that one shouldn’t leave visible anything that might even be mistaken for anything valuable. I wasted two days and $200 replacing window glass because a $27 folding cooler in silver nylon was mistaken for a laptop or laptop case.
Why is rape not highlighted in red? I can’t think of a worse crime.
This shows that the concentration of law enforcement on the west side is not warranted. The east side needs as much as the west.