For Second Year In A Row, Crime Is On The Rise Across Los Angeles
EAGLE ROCK (CBSLA.com) — For the second year in a row, crime is on the rise across Los Angeles.
The rising crime rate has many communities alarmed.
KCAL9's Peter Daut reported from Eagle Rock Wednesday evening and spoke to people determined to do something about it.
Many residents told him they were joining neighborhood watch groups and asking for more police patrols.
"Eagle Rock is a small town surrounded by big city," said Tim Tritch, an Eagle Rock business owner.
Tritch's family's hardware store is an institution in Eagle Rock. Their store has been in business more than seven decades but beyond the hardware. is the hard reality -- that crime throughout Los Angeles is on the rise.
"It's alarming to a lot off people in the community," Tritch says.
According to LAPD statistics, Los Angeles saw roughly a six percent jump in overall crime in the past year.
Homicides were up three percent.
Rapes down seven percent.
Robberies up 16 percent.
And aggravated assaults up 20 percent.
"This is not just a Los Angeles trend this is a national trend," says LAPD Chief Charlie Beck, "America is struggling with crime."
This marks the second year in a row that crime has increased in LA Police point to increased gang violence and homelessness along with Proposition 47, which knocked down certain felonies to misdemeanors.
"It's surprising if it's happening in eagle rock," said one man.
Eagle Rock is one neighborhood dealing with a surge in property crime -- the biggest increases in violent crimes were in South LA, Hollywood, and parts of the San Fernando Valley.
Those are areas where police flooded the streets with more officers. They say an increased police presence has helped to slow the violence.
Tritch says he hopes to see more cops in Eagle Rock as well.
"We just simply need more police patrols in this area," he said.
The LAPD also surveyed abou 2,000 LA residents to measure their perception of safety. The survey found that 70 percent of people feel somewhat or very safe walking alone in their neighborhood at night,