Mayor: Los Angeles crime down in every major category

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti says crime is down in every major category in the city.

Garcetti said Monday that homicide is down 8.2 percent, rape is down 12.4 percent, gang crimes are down 8 percent and property crime is down 2 percent.

Garcetti says homicides are at their second-lowest in more than 50 years.

He announced the crime stats for 2018 during a news conference with Los Angeles police Chief Michel Moore, who’s been on the job for seven months. Moore says “this is one of the safest times to live in Los Angeles in all of history.”

The mayor credited an increased diversity of officers and more boots on the ground for the drop in crime.

Garcetti says the drop is incredible considering Los Angeles’ continuously growing population.