LA Murder Rate Has Dropped Sharply

The murder rate in Los Angeles has fallen sharply since a spike during the pandemic and the city is on course to record the fewest murders in almost 60 years. The Los Angeles Police Department says murders dropped 20% year-on-year in the first half of 2025, to 116, and if the trend continues, the city will have the lowest number of murders of any year since at least 1968, the Los Angeles Times reports. Analysts say the trend echoes declines in violent crimes across the country, reports KTLA. The areas patrolled by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department have also seen fewer murders, the Times reports.

"Los Angeles is on pace for the lowest homicide rate in 60 years," Mayor Karen Bass said in a post on X. "Especially with the summer underway, we will continue to implement comprehensive safety strategies to keep Angelenos safe." LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton tells the Times that the increased police presence during recent emergencies has had an effect, as have the efforts of social workers. "Obviously we flooded the streets during the fires and during the unrest," Hamilton says. He says the LAPD's strategy of targeting a small group of the most violent offenders "as opposed to casting a wide net" is paying off.