LA’s Worst Place for Burglaries Is One of Its Wealthiest

The most dangerous neighborhood in Los Angeles for burglaries is actually one of the priciest enclaves in town, where the median home value is $3.3 million.

Hancock Park, home to actors such as Mindy Kaling, George Takei, and once upon a time the likes of Clark Gable and Mae West, had more burglaries per capita than any other area in the city in the first half of 2018.

According to Los Angeles Police Department data, between January and June, Hancock Park registered 61 burglaries, up from 55 during the same period a year earlier. The neighborhood has a population of around 10,000. That translates roughly to a burglary rate of 570. (The rate is calculated by dividing the number of reports by the population, then multiplying by 100,000.)

Burglaries for the entire city have been dropping slightly over the past year, though the decline has not been steady.

While it tops the list for burglaries per capita, Hancock Park is certainly one of the safest parts of the city. In fact, it can feel like a bunker. Most homes have alarm systems, a few even have their own guards. Private security companies patrol the area.

“Burglary is a problem, but it’s preventable,” says Peter Gorelick, a board member of the Hancock Park Homeowners Association and the chair of its security committee. “It’s usually the result of something someone didn’t do, like turn on an alarm.”

But a burglary in Hancock Park can pay off. Six years ago, thieves hauled of a three-foot tall safe with jewelry worth $10 million.

There are other reasons why this neighborhood might top the list. Burglaries in wealthy areas are often more likely to be reported to the police than in poorer areas where the relationship with law enforcement can be more strained. And when it comes to burglaries, there are plenty of well-to-do areas on the list. The adjacent neighborhood, Windsor Square, which includes the official residence of Mayor Eric Garcetti, comes in at No. 3. Cheviot Hills is No. 4.

Here is a list of the top 20 neighborhoods in the City of Los Angeles, ranked by burglary rate for the first six months of 2018.

Don’t see your neighborhood on the list? Write to us at askus@xtown.la and we’ll tell you. Or ask us on Twitter at @CrosstownLA.

*Burglaries per 100,000 residents from January to June 2018.

How we did it: We collect crime reports from LAPD and we sort them by neighborhood. For neighborhood boundaries, we rely on the borders defined by the Los Angeles Times. You can read more about our data and how we use it here and here.