Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has welcomed new crime statistics for his city. There was a 5.4 percent drop in homicides last year compared to 2009. Other categories of violent crime including aggravated assault, robberies and rape were also significantly down.
Villaraigosa congratulated Department chief Charlie Beck. He called him America’s finest police chief and lauded the LAPD’s policies as effective yet progressive.
Pacifica’s Ernesto Arce files this report from Los Angeles.