LAPD: robberies with a gun up 44% this year
Robberies involving a gun are up a whopping 44% this year, so LAPD Chief Michel Moore is urging residents to keep alert and be aware of their surroundings.
There has been an overall increase in robberies throughout the City of Los Angeles this year, Moore told the Los Angeles Police Commission on Tuesday. The year-to-date statistics Moore presented are a big jump from previous years:
- Robberies up 18% from 2021, and 5% from 2020
- Robberies with a firearm up 44% from 2021, 57% from 2020 and 60% from 2019
- Robberies with a firearm account for 36% of all robberies, and accounts for 74% of the city's year-to-date total robbery increase
- LAPD's South Bureau and 77th Street Area had the most robberies with a firearm, at 227 and 102, respectively
"There's been a marked increase of armed robberies involving victims wearing expensive jewelry, as well as just other individuals whether they're at commercial stores such as mini markets, convenience stores, gas stations, or on the street," Moore said.
An LAPD alert warned that wearing expensive jewelry in public can make a person a visible target. The LAPD also urged people to travel in groups, remain in well-lit areas, and take a different route home after going shopping. People were also urged to remain aware of their surroundings, pay attention to the other people around them, and if someone may be following, change their routes and call the police.
