Violent crime down 7.1 percent Sheriff says

By SHEL SEGAL
Violent crime dropped in areas patrolled by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department over last year by 7.1 percent, according to a report published by the sheriff’s department.
However, the number of property crimes increased during that time by nearly 2.0 percent countywide, the same report said.

This means the overall crime rate is up nearly 1 percent over last year, the report said. But compared to five years ago, overall crime is down 12.6 percent, the report said.
The homicide rate remained steady in the county this year to last year. But the number of homicides has dropped by nearly 37.8 percent over 2008, the report said. The year with the fewest number of homicides since 1965 was 2012, the report added.

Many of the property crimes reported were car burglaries, the sheriff’s department said. The department added there are many things you can do to help prevent having your car burglarized.
The first thing is don’t forget to always lock your car doors and do not leave property that looks valuable in plain sight in your car. Basically, don’t be an easy target for opportunist thieves.
As laptops, purses, iPads, portable navigation systems and other electronic devices continue to be popular targets, make sure a would-be thief cannot see these items just by looking inside the car.
Deputies added a surprising fact about recent thefts from vehicles: Many people leave valuables in plain sight, or keep their cars unlocked. But by keeping items hidden, or secured in the trunk -or even in the house – you can prevent opportunist thieves from gaining access to your valuables, deputies said.

Don’t forget to lock your car, but remember that car windows won’t stop a determined thief, deputies said.

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