LA Reports 47% Drop In Homicides, 50% Decline In Shooting Victims

LOS ANGELES, CA — Los Angeles elected officials Monday touted a 47% decrease in reported homicides and a 50% drop in victims shot citywide over the last four years.

Mayor Karen Bass was joined by City Councilman John Lee, chair of the council's Public Safety Committee, Councilwoman Imelda Padilla and Los Angeles Police Department officers for Monday's announcement at the Van Nuys Community Police Station.

From Oct. 22, 2022 to Oct. 22, 2026, homicides decreased by 47% — or a reduction of 161 deaths — and victims shot decreased by 50%, or a reduction of 573 victims.

"As mayor, my number-one job is to keep Angelenos safe. While I recognize that safety is more than statistics, this data shows that we are making real progress, making the right investments, and responding to the needs of communities across this city," Bass said in a statement.

Compared to the same time last year, the San Fernando Valley experienced a 41% decrease in burglaries, a 21% decrease in robberies and a 31% decrease in motor vehicle thefts in 2026, according to the Mayor's Office.

"The progress we're seeing in the San Fernando Valley is significant, with burglaries down 41 percent in just the past year and major reductions in violent crime over the last four years," Lee said in a statement. "These numbers represent fewer residents becoming victims of crime, and I want to recognize the men and women of the LAPD whose hard work helps make that possible."

Last week, Bass directed the city to establish a unified call center to better organize the dispatch of unarmed civilian crisis response teams. The idea is to replace two separate call centers serving the programs with a single one. Her executive order also directed relevant departments to hire more 911 dispatchers.

In December 2025, Bass raised concerns about a rise in shootings involving police, which had significantly increased. That year, LAPD officers fired their weapons in 46 incidents, killed 14 people and wounded 23 others, representing a 70% increase with 2024, and the highest annual shooting total by the department since 2015, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Data on such shootings for 2026 has yet to be released.

In August, Bass ordered an independent evaluation of officer-involved deaths and severe injuries, with an emphasis on interactions between LAPD officers and individuals experiencing a mental health crisis.

Bass, who is seeking a second term as mayor, is facing a challenge from City Councilwoman Nithya Raman, a one-time ally. The two have faced off twice in debates this election season, and have criticized each other's records on public safety.

City News Service