Los Angeles officials reported that the city has witnessed a noteworthy reduction in violent crime in 2023, signaling a dramatic shift from the alarming surge during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Officials with the LAPD and the city unveiled statistics showing double-digit percentage declines in both homicides and nonfatal shootings last year in a news conference at police headquarters on January 24.

According to the released data, homicides in Los Angeles plummeted by 17%, while nonfatal shootings saw a 10% decrease, contributing to an overall 3% drop in reported violent crime compared to the preceding year.

However, amid these positive strides in curbing violent offenses, property crimes registered a concerning uptick of approximately 3%, primarily propelled by a surge in auto theft incidents.

Police Chief Michel Moore acknowledged the significance of these diminishing crime numbers but urged for cautious interpretation of the statistics.

“The perception of safety remains a concern across this great city,” Moore said, referring to challenges posed by crimes like smash-and-grab thefts, which have attracted substantial attention in media reports and on social platforms.

“Our commitment is to address that perception [of safety], as well as the increased gun violence that we see far too much of still on our streets,” he continued.

Moore, who recently announced plans to retire at the end of February, said that less than half of the city’s homicides were gang-related.

Despite the decline in crime, Mayor Karen Bass said there will be ongoing efforts to enhance public safety.

“We know that many in our city do not feel safe, which is why we are working urgently to address and prevent crime,” Bass said during the news conference. “After a series of flash robberies, we launched an organized retail taskforce to address why some Angelenos feel unsafe in our shopping centers. Since the inception of the task force, there has been a 33% reduction in flash robberies and the task force has affected 128 arrests, of which they’ve recovered 15 firearms, and recovered more than $150,000 in stolen property.”

The mayor explained that the city will continue to focus on cultivating a holistic approach to law enforcement, bolstering police staffing numbers in addition to non-law enforcement response teams. She also noted that the city will work to reduce the number of citizens who are shot by police in the line of duty, of which there were 34 last year.

In addition, Bass said that an important objective is to get unhoused people off the streets, with roughly $50 million in grants having been distributed to community-based violence prevention groups.

The reduction in violent crime in Los Angeles aligns with patterns seen across the nation. According to the Council on Criminal Justice, homicides across the country dropped by 9.4% in the first half of last year, compared with the same period in 2022.

However, concerns continue to linger over the rise in property offenses fueled by social media trends, particularly vehicle theft.

“We know that there is much more work to be done, and we will continue our work to ensure all Angelenos feel safe,” Bass said.