Car Break-Ins Rose 47% in Seven Years
Car break-ins are one of the most common crimes in Los Angeles. Police in the city and elsewhere have blamed the scourge of thefts from vehicles in part on increasingly homelessness and opioid addition.
Between 2010-2017, thefts from vehicles rose by 47%. Overall crime reports in LA over that same period rose 7.9%.
| Year | Number of thefts from motor vehicles |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 9562 |
| 2011 | 9206 |
| 2012 | 10013 |
| 2013 | 10271 |
| 2014 | 10923 |
| 2015 | 13553 |
| 2016 | 14308 |
| 2017 | 14072 |
Last month, there were a total of 1216 reports of theft from motor vehicles, an increase of only six from June.
In July, half of all LA neighborhoods saw thefts from vehicles drop compared with June of 2018. In this same period, only 37% saw an increase in reports.
Here are the neighborhoods with some of the most significant decreases in the number of reports for theft from a motor vehicle between June and July of 2018:
| Neighborhood | June 2018 | July 2018 | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Koreatown | 34 | 22 | -35% |
| Mid City | 17 | 10 | -41% |
| Canoga Park | 24 | 13 | -46% |
| Palms | 21 | 10 | -52% |
| Mid-Wilshire | 15 | 7 | -53% |
Some neighborhoods also experienced an increase in the number of reports for theft from a motor vehicle. Here are some of the most significant:
| Neighborhood | June 2018 | July 2018 | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tarzana | 9 | 19 | 111% |
| Woodland Hills | 15 | 28 | 87% |
| Studio City | 20 | 33 | 65% |
| Pacoima | 14 | 21 | 50% |
| Westlake | 28 | 38 | 36% |
For 2018, the trend in the number of reports for theft from a motor vehicle has been fairly flat. Here’s the year-to-date summary:
In comparison to last year, there was a slight increase in the number of these reports. The July 2018 count of 1216 reports is 3% up from the July 2017 count of 1177 reports.
The overall trend for this year is higher as well. Through July of last year, there had been 8075 total reports of theft from a motor vehicle, while in 2018 there have already been 8451 reports, a 4.7% increase.
*Our reports for this category of crime include both thefts and attempted thefts from vehicles as well as burglaries and attempted burglaries from vehicles. See more on how we organize our crime data here.
Check out our latest crime data story here.
Still have questions? Want to know the stats for your neighborhood? Write to us at askus@xtown.la
