It’s the new year, and that means crime statistics from the preceding year are beginning to come out.
One promising bit of information is that, according to the LAPD, the murder rate in Los Angeles is down 16 Percent. In 2013, there were a total of 251 murders, while in 2012 there were 299.
One of the things that authorities are attributing the decline in murders to is technology. One conjecture put forth by the city’s law enforcement is that the city’s murder-hungry youths have (apparently) chosen to remain inside surfing the internet as opposed to stalking the streets in search of crimes to commit.
According to LAPD Lt. Andy Neiman: “…A lot of kids and youthful individuals spending a lot more time on the internet, which means they’re indoors a lot more. They’re not on the streets involved in street-level activities.”
That’s not the only working theory as to why there were less murders in Los Angeles city limits this year, though. Another theory is that street gangs all over California have shifted their focus from violent crimes to other, more lucrative things like identity theft, larceny and fraud.
Regardless of the reason, it’s no doubt that the city’s law enforcement agencies keeping a vigilant eye on the streets has played a huge role in the continued decline of violent crimes in and around the Los Angeles area.
