Conclusion
We’ve analyzed the status of Los Angeles, looked at the impact of COVID on crime trends, analyzed what types of crimes are the most common, and even specified which areas are the most crime dense in LA. So what next? How can we fix the amount of crime that occurs in the Central L.A bureau, where areas such as Central, Rampart, and 77th street are facing so much crime?
As we explored in our “Socioeconomic Dive Into Two Extremes”, there are a plethora of factors that go into why some areas in Los Angeles may face a lot of crime, and why some areas are able to experience very little crime. The city of Los Angeles needs to work on solutions to try and minimize the gaps between the areas of LA, such as the access to proper education and the large gaps in income. It’s not particularly a surprise that the household income in Central LA is over $50,000 less than that of West LA, and it’s even less of a surprise that the gap of the amount of crime that goes on in these two regions is just as large.
Call to Action
- Everything starts with education.
The city of Los Angeles needs to ensure that the education system is fair, balanced, and consistent throughout all of its regions, and to not provide “better” schooling for those who are more financially wealthy. All this does is continue to widen the gap between the regions of Los Angeles, and, in turn, add to the gaps in the amounts of crime. Every resident of Los Angeles should have easy access to a proper education system, and should be provided freely with the means and resources to actively attend. - Thin out the population dense regions.
As we witnessed in our “Exploring the Crime in the 21 LAPD Divisions”, the areas that have the most crime are actually the smallest, and thus, most population dense, regions. Los Angeles should work on various systems and policies that can reduce extreme population density in specific regions, such as Central and Rampart. - Reduce Socioeconomic Disparities.
While you can make an argument that this is intertwined with the first point, it is imperative that Los Angeles works on solutions to reduce the large amount of socioeconomic disparities that are present within Los Angeles. Doing so would not only reduce harms such as crime but would also allow for a more equitable and prosperous city. By reducing this immense wealth gap and providing all of our residents with equal opportunities, we can create a healthy environment that reduces the incentives and desperation for the residents of Los Angeles to engage in criminal activity.
We hope you enjoyed this project and learned new things about the city that we call home!
