We are safer as a city than before I took office,
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said Monday, standing outside the Los Angeles Police Department’s Van Nuys Station to tout her administration’s public safety record with roughly a week remaining before the election, abc7.com reported.
Los Angeles Crime Statistics and Citywide Drop in Homicides
Mayor Bass released figures comparing crime data from October 22, 2026, with the same period four years earlier in October 22, 2022, pointing to a reported 47% decrease in homicides, which translates to 161 fewer deaths, according to the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office. The data also shows a 50% drop in shooting victims, representing 573 fewer people shot over the four-year span. An independent analysis conducted by ABC7 comparing data from October 2026 with the same month last year found that overall crime dropped 9.6% while homicides decreased by about 13.8%.
Today, I announced a sweeping set of changes designed to make it faster and easier to build housing and open businesses across Los Angeles. The reforms in Executive Directive 19 will reduce delays in City approval processes, simplify permitting, and speed up the building of… pic.twitter.com/8uf3pu0ceY
During the press conference at the Van Nuys station, Bass was joined by Councilmember John Lee, who serves as chair of the L.A. City Council’s Public Safety Committee, and Councilmember Imelda Padilla. Lee highlighted local drops in the San Fernando Valley, noting that burglaries fell 41%, robberies dropped 21%, and motor vehicle thefts decreased 31% over the last year. Bass noted that earlier in the year, when a string of burglaries hit Ventura Boulevard, she directed the LAPD to strategically deploy resources to combat this and hold bad actors accountable.
Political Reactions and City Council Disputes
While local leaders gathered to support the safety update, the event drew political friction over neighborhood representation. Councilmember Nithya Raman, who also represents parts of the Valley and is Bass’s mayoral opponent, was notably absent from the press conference. Rob Glushon, president of the Encino Property Owner’s Association, criticized Raman during the event, stating that she was missing in action during a well-publicized spike in Encino burglaries a year and a half ago. In response, Raman’s office issued a statement to Eyewitness News asserting that her team worked closely with the LAPD’s West Valley Division, the mayor’s office, and city departments to establish a dedicated crime suppression strategy, while also writing directly to Encino constituents with safety updates and resources.
Neighborhood Crime Mapping Delays and LAPD Response
Questions persist regarding detailed neighborhood-level crime map data that the LAPD stopped releasing in 2025, which news organizations and research groups argue is necessary for tracking local trends. The dispute led to a lawsuit filed by crime data aggregator SpotCrime, which accused the department of an unlawful pattern of delaying tactics. Addressing the issue on Monday, LAPD Assistant Chief Michael Rimkunas said the department is actively working to make the data available again. Rimkunas explained that delays stemmed from mapping and creation processes, affirming that the department believes the information fully needs to be released to the public.
Frequently Asked Questions About Los Angeles Public Safety Data
What specific civilian response initiatives has Mayor Bass implemented?
Mayor Bass created the Mayor’s Office of Community Safety, tripled public investment in civilian crisis response, strengthened the Gang Reduction and Youth Development and Summer Night Lights programs, and expanded Safe Passage. In a move taken last week via executive action, she established the municipality’s inaugural centralized call center to dispatch unarmed civilian crisis response units, taking the place of two separate previous operations.
How have gang-related homicides shifted since 2022?
According to the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office, gang-related homicides have dropped by more than 50% citywide since 2022.
How many 911 calls have unarmed crisis responders handled?
More than 125,000 emergency 911 calls originating from the LAPD have been managed by unarmed crisis personnel, linking local residents to behavioral and mental healthcare while allowing police personnel to concentrate on major offenses.
Public safety is not just about being responsive to crime. It’s about creating the conditions that help prevent it in the first place,
Padilla said.
Worth a look