Homicides are significantly down in Los Angeles this year, with the city on pace to see its best year in that regard since the 1960s.
Killings are down 20% in the first half of this year, with 116 reported through June 28. At that point last year, 158 people had been killed, the Los Angeles Times reports.
“The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that the recent totals are on track for the lowest annual count since at least 1968,” the Times explained, adding that the unincorporated areas and cities patrolled by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department have also seen fewer homicides.
“Especially with the summer underway, we will continue to implement comprehensive safety strategies to keep Angelenos safe,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said on social media.
The decrease mirrors a national trend, which some experts attribute to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As detailed by NPR, some believe the pandemic and lockdowns upended the routines and activities for many. With society closer to its pre-pandemic form, homicide levels have dropped as a result, researchers say.
“We’re seeing really not just declines, but large declines and large across-the-board declines. I mean, it’s everywhere,” said Jeff Asher, co-founder of AH Datalytics.
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