Crime dips in October, but surge in rapes concerns Public Safety Commission

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The last three months have seen the lowest Part One crime totals of 2022, Sgt. Michael Yost of the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department told the Public Safety Commission at their meeting Monday night.

However, there were five rapes last month — an “unusual” number, Yost said. Alcohol was a factor in all of them. Commissioner Kerri Balbone noted that the month of October for years has seen a surge in rapes.

“As we talk about nightlife safety, we need to focus on this,” Balbone said. “This is clearly a time there is more risk for people.”

The Entertainment Policing team had again noticed a surge in pickpocketing and shoplifting. Target, BevMo and Best Buy have been hit especially hard, Yost said. Three alleged pickpocketers were arrested last month.

Commissioner Tory Berger asked Yost what the department needed overall to fight crime.

“My honest opinion? More help,” he said.

Yost explained that he is in charge of both the daytime deputies as well as the Entertainment Policing Team at night, and that his resources as a supervisor are stretched too thin.

OTHER NOTES

● Sheriff bicycles have arrived and are being outfitted with graphics. Look for bike beats in the near future.
● Deputies will be patrolling Fountain and Santa Monica Blvd. in the morning by foot.

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Peter B
Peter B
1 year ago

How do thieves get items through the exit alarm scanners at big box stores unless the “security” guards let them through?

Joshua88
Joshua88
2 years ago

How many of the rapes are by men raping women?

Joe Bologna
Joe Bologna
2 years ago

Respect and finance the police and let them do their job and these problems will definitely diminish considerably. I realized that in 2nd Grade.

Beacon of Bad Behavior
Beacon of Bad Behavior
2 years ago

More drinking, more partying, more rapes as the city is becoming a beacon of Bad Behavior.

Ham
Ham
2 years ago

There’s a general sense of lawlessness……that this data doesn’t capture.

Bastian
Bastian
2 years ago

One month of Part 1 Incidents down 2% and calls for service down 2.8% doesn’t exactly constitute a trend or statistical significance.

Looking at YTD data, calls for service up 13%, Emergency incidents up 14.6%, priority incidents up 9%, route incidents up 13.6%

Increasing response times is also worrying.

But great work on the increased arrests.

Deputies will be patrolling Fountain and Santa Monica Blvd. in the morning by foot.”

What happens in the morning? I wake up with a stack of Citizen alerts from midnight till 2am. Seems like we need patrols then.

WALKING THE BEAT
WALKING THE BEAT
2 years ago

In this postage stamp of a city, we need old fashioned policing not newbies and part time Blockbusters overburdened by exponential technology and creating burdensome reports.

Historically it was known as WALKING THE BEAT”. Ask Carl Cronin, he knows about this stuff.

John Arnold
John Arnold
2 years ago

Tory Berger asking what the Sheriff’s Department needs after his commission voted to defund the department earlier this year was truly mind-boggling. 

Manny
Manny
2 years ago
Reply to  John Arnold

Tory Berger voted NO to defund. So it was a very good question,

John Arnold
John Arnold
2 years ago
Reply to  Manny

I stand corrected. Thank you.