Los Angeles violent crime surged by 67% downtown for the first six months of 2015 according to the FBI Uniform Crime Reports.

* Was it caused by an increase in gang activity?
* Was it caused by the jail inmate early-release program?
* Was it caused by the increasing Skid Row Homeless Population?
* Was it caused by Proposition 47 felony crime reclassification?

Mayor Eric Garcetti and Chief Charlie Beck press conference

Show Notes – 014

Podcast Time Stamps:

* [00:45] – Press conference with Chief Beck and Mayor Garcetti
* [01:48] – Interview with KABC talk-radio show host Peter Tilden
* [02:30] – Why is Los Angeles violent crime increasing downtown
* [03:55] –  Los Angeles violent crime up 67% in downtown
* [04:50] – More cops not the answer to lowering crime statistics
* [08:52] – My comments about the interview subject matter
* [09:02] – What’s causing the spike in Los Angeles violent crime
* [10:50] – Three-strikes law in California
* [12:35] – Perfect Crime Storm
* [13:00] – Early-release of jail and prison inmates
* [14:45] – Skid Row in Los Angeles
* [15:20] – Proposition 47 and its contribution to the crime rate increase
* [16:25] – LAPD modifies arrest and jail booking policy
* [18:00] – Los Angeles Violent Crime analysis – Mystery in the numbers
* [18:30] – FBI Uniform Crime Reports
* [20:50] – LA Times investigated LAPD crime under-reporting
* [23:15] – Predictions about crime trends in Los Angeles violent crime

What caused the rise in Los Angeles violent crime downtown?
Was it caused by:

* A downtown gang-turf battle
* A surge in drug activity
* A major new entertainment or sports venue opening
* Rising homelessness and violence on Skid Row
* Discharge of jail inmates due to overcrowding
* Proposition 47 downgrading felonies to misdemeanors
* Change in offender arrest and jail booking policy
* Changes in LAPD policy on crime classifications
* Increased part-1 UCR crime reporting to FBI
* Violent crime under-reported in 2104
* Violent crime data correction in 2015
* A combination of several of these factors

California was Tough on Crime
The three-strikes law in California was legislation that mandated the courts to impose harsher jail and prison sentences on habitual offenders. The sentencing threshold was having at least two-prior serious crime convictions and have now committed a third. In California, even a misdemeanor drug crime conviction could be that third-strike triggering harsher jail or prison sentence.
The idea was to to be tough on crime by keeping those more likely to commit serious crime off the streets and separate habitual-offenders from society using the baseball analogy of three-strikes and you’re out.
The Three-Strikes Law was credited by many for the decade of crime rate reduction in California.Tweet This
The Perfect Crime Storm
However, this crime reduction benefit came at a high-price. The Los Angeles county jail quickly became overcrowded with those awaiting trial and sentencing. The inmate congestion and deplorable housing conditions in the county jail were condemn...