Burglary dips in LA, except in these wealthy areas
Burglaries in the City of Los Angeles saw a 3% dip in 2018, but in some wealthy enclaves, such as Cheviot Hills, the number of reports soared last year.
According to data from the Los Angeles Police Department, Cheviot Hills, located on the Westside, south of Pico Blvd., had 99 burglaries or attempted burglaries last year, an increase of 32% from 2017. It had the second-highest burglary rate in the city, with 1131.8. Hancock Park, one of Los Angeles’s oldest and wealthiest neighborhoods, was just slightly higher, with rate of 1132.4. (The rate is the number of burglaries or attempted burglaries per 100,000 residents.)
Over the years, Cheviot Hills residents have included former California Gov. Pete Wilson, actress Lucille Ball and author Ray Bradbury. The median home price of the neighborhood ranges from $1.7 to $2.1 million.
The neighborhood also saw a 24% increase from 2017 in crime reports across the board.
“Most residents have alarm systems installed in their houses, and many are installing video surveillance systems to also attempt to deter burglaries,” said James M. Gilbert, long-time resident and vice president of the Cheviot Hills Homeowners Association.
Gilbert said that the homeowners association has ramped up efforts to deter burglaries and contracted with a private security service to have marked security vehicles patrolling the neighborhood. Residents are also trying to expand the local neighborhood watch program, he said.
“We are also working with the LAPD to address the burglary problem,” he said. “Specifically, we are hoping for an increase in police officers for the West Los Angeles station.”
Burglary is when someone forces their way into a building with the intent to steal. Incidents of burglaries in neighborhoods with higher household incomes are often more likely to be reported to the police than those with lower incomes, where the relationship between law enforcement and residents might be more strained. Homes in wealthier neighborhoods, of course, also have more expensive items to steal. In fact, seven of the top 10 neighborhoods for burglaries have median home prices above $1 million, according to real estate website Trulia.
Here are the 15 neighborhoods with the highest burglary rates in 2018.
| Neighborhood | 2018 Burglary Rate (per 100,000 residents) | Reported Burglaries in 2018 | Reported Burglaries in 2017 | Percent Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hancock Park | 1132.4 | 122 | 118 | 3.39% |
| Cheviot Hills | 1131.8 | 99 | 75 | 32.00% |
| Windsor Square | 1030.8 | 69 | 78 | -11.54% |
| West Los Angeles | 1024.2 | 132 | 106 | 24.53% |
| Fairfax | 1008.6 | 136 | 130 | 4.62% |
| Beverly Grove | 976.3 | 215 | 232 | -7.33% |
| Venice | 907.5 | 309 | 253 | 22.13% |
| Downtown | 878.5 | 440 | 424 | 3.77% |
| Chesterfield Square | 848.8 | 70 | 62 | 12.90% |
| Leimert Park | 811.7 | 102 | 108 | -5.56% |
| Rancho Park | 795.5 | 44 | 76 | -42.11% |
| Encino | 770 | 352 | 324 | 8.64% |
| Harvard Park | 764.1 | 72 | 43 | 67.44% |
| Century City | 761.1 | 47 | 19 | 147.37% |
| Hyde Park | 752.9 | 267 | 275 | -2.91% |
Downtown, which had the highest rate for all types of reported crimes in 2018, has the eighth highest burglary rate in the city.
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How we did it: We looked at publicly available LAPD data on reports of burglary and attempted burglary in Los Angeles. For neighborhood boundaries, we rely on the borders defined by the Los Angeles Times. Learn more about our data here.
LAPD data only reflects crimes that are reported to the department, not how many crimes actually occurred. On occasion, LAPD may update past crime reports with new information, or recategorize past reports. Those revised reports do not always automatically become part of the public database.
Want to know how your neighborhood fares? Or simply just interested in our data? Email us at askus@xtown.la.
