L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, LAPD, LAFD and Community-Based Safety Solutions Deliver Urgent Strategy to Keep Los Angeles Safe

DELIVERING RESULTS IN 2024: LAFD Expands Health and Safety Response Capability and Continues Emergency Response Support in L.A., Regionally and Nationwide

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /CALIFORNIA NEWSWIRE/ — Today, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced a significant drop in reported homicides and shooting victims and also highlighted expansions of health and safety response capability led by the Los Angeles Fire Department to make Los Angeles safer. The Mayor made the announcement at the Watts Labor Community Action Committee and was joined by City Councilmember Tim McOsker, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell, LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley, and leaders from the Watts Gang Task Force and Soledad Enrichment Action.

Mayor Bass highlighted:

• A more than 25% drop in homicides and victims shot citywide along with a more than 50% decrease in gang-related homicides following LAPD-led initiatives and community-based strategies to make Los Angeles safer.
• Hundreds of arrests made and over $66 million in stolen merchandise recovered by the Organized Retail Crime Task Force to address retail theft in Los Angeles.
• A four-year-high of applications to join the LAPD.
• Expanded health and safety response capability at LAFD through the addition of Fast Response Vehicles to free up larger trucks and engines to respond to larger fires.

• LAFD always stands at the ready to support the region as exemplified today responding to the Franklin Fire in Malibu and deploying nationwide to Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
• The Mayor and Chief McDonnell pledged continued action in the new year to prioritize safety including burglaries, motor vehicle thefts and robberies continue.

“Homicides are down and our Fire Department has expanded health and safety capability thanks to urgent action taken to keep Angelenos safe but we know many in L.A. still don’t feel safe every day – that must change,” said Mayor Karen Bass. “We will work to respond quickly to crime when it occurs, prevent crime from happening in the first place, and support our firefighters to ensure we build a Los Angeles that’s safer for all.

Combating Crime To Make L.A. Safer:  

• Mayor Bass continues her commitment to keeping Angelenos safe through a comprehensive approach to public and community safety for the City of Los Angeles. According to LAPD data, homicides have decreased 28.1%, gang-related homicides have dropped more than 50%, and victims shot have decreased 26.2% since Mayor Bass was sworn in.
• Mayor Bass and LAPD have launched new efforts to curb both commercial and residential burglaries – both categories of crime have fallen in the majority of reporting periods since the end of August but urgent action continues. The Mayor is working to grow LAPD and implement a comprehensive approach to make Los Angeles safer and help Angelenos feel safer every day.

Cracking Down On Organized Retail Theft and Other Crime: 

• The Organized Retail Crime Task Force (ORCTF) and the Cargo Theft Unit (CTU) were created in August 2023 and have made more than 350 arrests and recovered more than $66 million worth of stolen merchandise.
• In 2023, the Mayor’s Office of Public Safety and the Mayor’s Office of Business and Economic Development convened executives from some of the largest retail centers in Los Angeles with law enforcement leaders from LAPD to strengthen collaboration and coordination responding to retail theft. In 2024, the Mayor’s Office continued this proactive outreach, especially ahead of holiday shopping seasons.
• The Mayor is working with elected officials throughout the state and locally to ensure that comprehensive policies and initiatives are enacted to hold people who commit crimes accountable and to prevent crime from happening in the first place. Mayor Bass joined California State Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, Assemblymembers Rick Chavez Zbur and Mark Gonzalez, and other local elected, business, and community leaders to prepare for a series of new retail theft laws recently signed by the Governor, and to explore how to continue building on those efforts.

Cracking Down On Organized Crime: 

• LAPD’s South American Theft Task Force has worked to address “crime tourism” organizations, resulting in multiple indictments on charges such as burglary, money laundering, and wire fraud. These initiatives have facilitated the recovery of millions in stolen goods and significantly impacted the operations of large-scale criminal enterprises across the nation.

Addressing a Spike in Home Burglaries in the Valley Region:

• In August 2024, the Encino area experienced a concerning rise in home invasions. Working with the Mayor, LAPD responded by thoroughly investigating these incidents and surging officers to the area. LAPD has enhanced its presence on residential streets through increased patrols, including mounted horse units, foot patrols, and supplementary patrol cars, all aimed at ensuring the safety and security of the community.

Enhancing and Supporting LAPD With New Leadership:

• Following a nationwide search, Mayor Bass selected Jim McDonnell to serve as the 59th Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department to grow and strengthen LAPD, deepen relationships with communities across the city, and ensure that Los Angeles is vigilant and prepared for major international events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and anything else that comes our way.
• During the search, Mayor Bass appointed Interim Chief Dominic Choi, the first Korean American to lead a major city police department in the nation, to provide steady leadership and to continue reforms implemented by the Mayor during her first year to address the hiring and retention crisis and improve the Department.
• The nationwide search included meetings with hundreds of rank and file LAPD officers as well as civil rights organizations, gang interventionists, crime survivors, youth, clergy and faith leaders and Neighborhood Council Leadership, to hear their input and feedback. A summary of these meetings was publicly released by the Mayor’s Office here.

Addressing the Hiring and Retention Crisis At LAPD:

• After taking important action to address the hiring and retention crisis through securing competitive and fair pay for LAPD officers and personnel, the Mayor’s Office of Public Safety continues to work urgently to build on progress from 2023.
• Following actions to address recruitment at LAPD, the City received a four-year-high of applications to join the Department, reflecting a 28.3% increase from last year as of the end of October.
• The Mayor’s Office of Public Safety continues to work with LAPD to ensure applicants to the Department can be hired quicker without sacrificing the quality of officers.
  • The Mayor’s Office worked with the Personnel Department to address bureaucratic entanglements, which have long impacted hiring rates at LAPD.

  • The Mayor’s Office continues to facilitate more efficient and streamlined processes between the Personnel Department and LAPD.
  • The Mayor’s Office continues to work with LAPD to increase and diversify outreach and marketing including through hosting hiring outreach events, launching the Candidate Mentors program, allowing current officers to guide aspiring recruits through the application process. Additionally, the Candidate Advancement Program provides qualified applicants with an expedited pathway through the hiring stages, helping the department identify top talent more efficiently.

Maintaining A High Level of Service From LAFD: 

• Mayor Bass secured competitive wage increases that include improved health benefits for LAFD firefighters, which will help with firefighter retention and allow LAFD to maintain a high level of emergency service to Angelenos.

• LAFD sent 43 of its members to assist with Hurricane Milton after FEMA activated the National Urban Search and Rescue Response System to request nationwide Mutual Aid. LAFD also sent an 18-member team to assist with search efforts in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

• During the Mountain Fire in Ventura, LAFD provided mutual aid to our neighboring county, swiftly sending strike teams composed of five fire engines and a battalion chief. Over the course of the fire, LAFD sent more than 100 of its members, a total of 21 fire engines, a dozer strike team, and additional command and administrative staff. By taking immediate action, LAFD helped save lives and property from further damage.

Expanding and Improving LAFD’s Capacity:

• The LAFD has hired, filled, and graduated hundreds of new firefighters and paramedics, bolstering their ranks with dedicated individuals ready to serve Los Angeles.

• The Mayor’s Office of Public Safety secured historic funding of more than $50 million to replace old firetrucks and other apparatus beyond service life, and to purchase new equipment.

• The Mayor also secured funding for automated chest compression devices/CPR devices. The Department is in the process of equipping every paramedic rescue ambulance in the city with these life-saving devices.

• Mayor Bass worked with LAFD to increase the number of Fast Response Vehicles (FRVs) in the City. These FRVs serve as a flexible, multi-mission resource to respond to emergency medical service and fire calls. By using FRVs, LAFD can better maintain larger apparatus and allows for them to remain operationally ready to respond to calls involving larger fires.

Supporting Los Angeles Firefighters:

• Mayor Bass has visited multiple fire stations to speak with firefighters and paramedics about the increase in call volume across the city, and the urgent need for their lifesaving work. She also participated in a ride along with the Advanced Provider Response Unit (APRU), an alternative response model used to respond to increased requests for non-traditional Emergency Medical Services such as behavioral health emergencies, substance use disorder, and low acuity medical complaints. In addition, APRUs serve as a force multiplier for the department as they are able to treat patients in the field as opposed to in hospitals, which frees up ambulances to respond to more serious incidents.

Preparing to Host Safe Major World Events: 

• The expedited National Special Security Event (NSSE) designation for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games has allowed early preparedness and planning to keep Angelenos and visitors safe during the Games. The Mayor’s Office is participating in the NSSE and is committed to ensuring the safety of all communities across Los Angeles.

• Outside of the NSSE, the Mayor’s Office convenes monthly meetings with the City’s law enforcement and public safety agencies to augment NSSE’s safety and security planning. These meetings are critical to ensuring that all communities across Los Angeles are engaged and aware of safety and security issues in the lead-up and are prepared and resourced during the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Protecting Domestic Violence Victims: 

• The City expanded legal services for domestic violence, sexual assault, elder abuse and human trafficking survivors and their families in areas of immigration and family law through the Cal OES Family Justice Center (FJ) Program.

• The City also hosted regional and national forums to protect Angelenos:
  • The Domestic Abuse Response Team (DART) Forum trained more than 120 law enforcement, advocates and stakeholders in areas of domestic violence, lethality assessment, forensic and strangulation exams, and victim services.

  • The inaugural Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) Forum trained over 90 law enforcement officers, detectives, advocates and stakeholders in the areas of Stalking and Sexual Assaults, victim assistance, forensic exams and forensic interviews.

  • The Lethality Assessment Program (LAP) Training trained over 50 DART Advocates, staff and hotline operators on the use of an evidence-based lethality assessment to identify victims of intimate partner violence who are at the highest danger of being killed or seriously injured by their intimate partner.

Protecting Victims of Human Trafficking: 

• Mayor Bass joined United States Attorney Martin Estrada, Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto and other federal and local law enforcement officials in collaborating on the ongoing Figueroa Human Trafficking Initiative aimed at combating human trafficking and the sexual exploitation of children on the Figueroa Corridor in South Los Angeles. The regional initiative has led to arrests and features federal and local law enforcement working together to target human traffickers and those who perpetuate illegal sex work, especially involving children, and helps survivors, often times children, find opportunities and help get them off the streets.

• Mayor Bass participated in an undercover sting operation to help rescue children being trafficked and sexually exploited on the Figueroa Corridor in South Los Angeles. Following the operation, the Mayor met with officers of the 77th Street Station to discuss their work and ways City Hall can support these important efforts.

Reducing Crime with the Office of Community Safety:

• The Mayor’s Office of Community Safety (MOCS) was created by Mayor Karen Bass in 2023 to prevent crime and violence through proven community-based strategies that impact the social and economic conditions that result in community harm. The office supports non-punitive safety strategies, including civilian first responders, violence intervention, re-entry services, youth diversion programs, and capacity-building programs for non-profit organizations working to address community safety.

Implementing Comprehensive Strategies To Reduce Gang-Related Crime in LA: 

• The Gang Reduction and Youth Development (GRYD) program was established to coordinate city-funded gang prevention and violence intervention programming using a comprehensive strategy. The Mayor’s Office contracts with 25 community-based service providers for the delivery of services in 23 GRYD Zones, and it annually hosts two city wide violence reduction programs, Summer Night Lights (SNL), in 44 sites across L.A., and Fall Friday Nights.

• This summer, the Mayor’s Office of Community Safety coordinated the Summer Night Lights program through partnerships with City departments, Council District Offices and community-based organizations to employ more than 575 community members. SNL provided 316,800 community members with food, programming and resources, 12,534 youth with the opportunity to play basketball and soccer at the parks for free, and 2,670 adults participated in an evening sports league. In previous years, crime decreased in areas where SNL programs occurred. LAPD will release data for 2024 in January 2025.

• This fall, Fall Friday Nights was hosted at MacArthur Park for the first time, attracting approximately 600 Angelenos. Fall Friday Nights is one component of the comprehensive GRYD strategy and aims to create safe environments during peak times for gang-related violence in the most impacted communities. This program is designed to increase community engagement, enhance safety and connect community members to resources.

• To ensure safe schools, the Mayor’s Office of Community Safety re-established a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) to provide GRYD violence prevention and intervention services at LAUSD campuses most impacted by gang and gun violence.

Providing Services To Reduce Recidivism and Prevent Crime: 

• Hundreds of people have been offered services, including expungements, ticket clearance, housing assistance, and more through the Community Outreach Court (COC) – a new collaborative initiative spearheaded by the Mayor’s Office of Community Safety, L.A. City Attorney’s Office, the L.A. County Public Defender’s Office, and the L.A. County Alternate Public Defender’s Office. The primary objective is to assist persons experiencing homelessness in resolving various legal matters, thereby eliminating barriers to accessing social services and securing housing.

• Through the Breaking Barriers Initiative, the Mayor’s Office of Community Safety has worked with the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, Homeboy Industries, Legal Aid Foundation, and Neighborhood Legal Services LA to host 15 different events, serving hundreds of Angelenos and addressing legal matters to assist them with obtaining employment, housing and more.

Disrupting the Cycle of Crime:

• The Mayor’s Office of Community Safety supported more than 100 young people in 2024 with services including life skills training, mental health treatment, mentorship/peer navigation, education assistance, workforce development (i.e. job readiness, resume building, and interview preparation), family supportive services (i.e. rent and utility assistance), support at court appearances, character development workshops (i.e. goal setting, emotional regulation, relationship building, and mindfulness), and in-camp restorative healing circles.

• Los Angeles was selected to participate in the Just Home Project, a national program to advance community-driven efforts to break the link between homelessness and incarceration led by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Urban Institute. Los Angeles will receive funding to build more housing and services for formerly incarcerated transitional aged-youth and women with children.

Improving the Public Safety System through the Expansion of Civilian Crisis Response: 

• The Mayor sustained and expanded CIRCLE (Crisis and Incident Response through Community Lead Engagement) Program to the Harbor area (Wilmington, Harbor City, Harbor Gateway, and San Pedro communities) and Westside neighborhoods (Oakwood, Mar Vista, Palms, Playa Vista, Playa Del Rey, Westchester and Manchester Square, and Dockweiler Beach). CIRCLE is a proven program that helps free-up LAPD officers by sending non-violent 911 calls to mental health workers and individuals with lived experience to provide help and assistance for unhoused individuals experiencing crisis.

• From January to October 2024, CIRCLE responded to over 14,000 calls for service, connected 760 individuals to housing, and reconnected 24 individuals with their families.

Making Los Angeles Safer Through Employment: 

• The City of Los Angeles’ Project imPACT program provides comprehensive services to justice-impacted individuals across the City of Los Angeles. Project imPACT funds ten community-based programs that improve behavioral health, employment, and housing outcomes to reduce future criminal justice system involvement. Hundreds have benefited from resources and fellowships in 2024.

• Since Mayor Bass took office, 219 system-impacted individuals enrolled in the New Roads transitional employment program, and 142 clients obtained outside employment during this time. Between December 2022 and October 2024, the City crews collected a total of 347,019 bags of litter on freeways.

Responding to Angelenos in Crisis:

• The Mayor’s Crisis Response Team (CRT) provides critical emotional support to victims of traumatic incidents, in addition to referrals and connections to essential services throughout the City of Los Angeles. The CRT provides immediate on-scene crisis intervention and serves as a liaison between victims, survivors, and emergency personnel. Referrals are given to victims and their families affected by death, violent crimes, or traumatic incidents. Some of these incidents include homicides, officer involved shootings, suicides, serious traffic collisions, natural deaths, and multi-casualty incidents. The presence of CRT on-scene helps to de-escalate potential tensions with law enforcement during the turmoil and aftermath of a crisis scenario, helping to build trust with the City. This year, CRT deployed 382 Volunteer CRT members to support Angelenos in crisis after 234 critical incidents throughout Los Angeles.

Actions To Ensure Safety on the L.A. Metro System: 

• While Mayor Bass was Chair of the Metro Board of Directors, Mayor Bass called for a surge of law enforcement presence on trains, buses and in stations in response to a string of recent violent incidents.

• According to Los Angeles Metro data:
  • Metro ridership has increased every month for the last 24 months. Most recently, Metro announced that it is averaging a million daily boardings on the system.

  • Mayor Bass and the Metro Board voted to create an in-house community safety department that will meet the unique safety needs of Metro and keep riders, operators and staff safe. The in-house safety department will be developed in the coming years.

  • Mayor Bass and the Metro Board of Directors worked to accelerate the installation of reinforced barriers to keep bus operators safe. All buses will be outfitted with new protections by the end of 2024. The Department of Transportation is also installing protective barriers in its buses.

Strengthening Public Trust:

• Mayor Bass appointed Judge Teresa Sánchez-Gordon to the Los Angeles Police Department’s Board of Police Commissioners to help support LAPD to make L.A. safer for all. Commissioner Sánchez-Gordon is a retired Los Angeles Superior Court judge, who will bring decades of legal expertise to the civilian oversight body tasked with guiding LAPD policies and operations.

Expanding Language Access in the Korean American Community:

• Following meetings with the Korean American Federation of Los Angeles (KAFLA) and members of the Korean American community, the LAPD launched its Korean online reporting service to assist Korean residents in the Los Angeles area who face language barriers when reporting crimes and incidents.

Engaging the Community To Prepare For Emergencies:

• The Emergency Management Department (EMD) Community Preparedness & Engagement Division has participated in more than 115 events over the past two years across the City, helping thousands of Angelenos prepare themselves, their families, businesses, and neighborhoods for potential disasters.

• The Emergency Management Department and the LAFD graduated 57 Angelenos from the Spanish-speaking Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) class, which is focused on empowering residents to respond to emergencies effectively, reducing the strain on emergency services, and saving lives. This program equips individuals with vital skills in disaster preparedness, first aid, fire safety, and search and rescue techniques, ensuring that communities can respond confidently and competently in times of need.

• In order to inform and educate more Angelenos about emergency preparedness, the City of Los Angeles developed the Unplugged Campaign, which utilizes strategically placed billboards throughout the city, along with the distribution of informative brochures and posters, as well as accessible digital kiosks to get the word out about how to prepare for an emergency. The materials emphasize the significance of maintaining a disaster preparedness kit and utilizing City resources such as 311 and ReadyLA.org for effective preparation.

Increasing Cybersecurity Coordination Across Regional Partners:

• In October, the City launched the Regional Cyber Coalition (RCC) alongside key regional partners. The RCC launched a regional cyber threat intelligence sharing tool called the Threat Intelligence Sharing Platform (TISP) to serve the Los Angeles region’s public sector. The TISP gathers anonymous threat intelligence and shares it with city, county, and public sector infrastructure providers, ensuring that both the City and our regional partners receive timely threat information that is used to harden cyber defenses and improve regional collective security.

Leading Through Weather Challenges To Keep Angelenos Safe:

• Mayor Bass quickly engaged City departments to ensure thorough preparations aimed at safeguarding the well-being of all residents of Los Angeles in the face of looming rainstorms. These preparations by City departments have encompassed a range of strategic actions, such as:

• Activating the City’s Emergency Operations Center early to monitor weather events and facilitate effective coordination among City Departments as necessary.

• Increasing staffing deployments and resources for the LAFD to ensure targeted responses.
• Expanding 311 hours to provide public information and resources due to the weather event.

• Activating the Augmented Winter Shelter program to provide shelter for the anticipated severe weather.
• Activating Augmented Cooling Centers to provide heat relief for all Angelenos.

• Increasing staffing and crews from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to accommodate any potential increases in call volumes and response to power outages.

Preventing and Preparing for Nuclear Threats in Southern California: 

• Last year, approximately 300 sworn public safety partners were trained on and provided personal radiation detectors to reduce the risk of a successful deployment of a radiological or nuclear terrorist weapon in Los Angeles. 32 drills were conducted in the region. These trainings and drills are a part of the Los Angeles – Long Beach Securing the Cities (STC) Program to train and drill first responders and acquire updated technology and equipment in coordination with 13 regional partners. Following program expansion to the Ontario Fire Department and Riverside Fire/Police Departments in the Inland Empire, implementation of training with these departments began in 2024.
• In August 2024, Mayor Bass met with U.S. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary to the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office Mary Ellen Callahan to highlight our continued partnership and efforts to address radiological and nuclear threats.

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This news item is based on announcement as issued by the office of Mayor Bass. This version first appeared on CaliforniaNewswire.com