Background
Los Angeles is anecdotally known to be one of the country’s most diverse cities, welcoming people from all walks of life and from a multitude of different backgrounds. According to the most recent US Census estimates from 2022, there are about 3.8 million people residing in the city of Los Angeles (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020). The city itself is divided into multiple regions. Some partition it in colloquial terms, similar to how New York City is divided into 5 boroughs each. This poses some problems for the analysis in this project though because these small regions are not standardized and often overlap with one another. In order to better understand and analyze the data set in this project, we will now simply refer to the 21 LAPD divisions outlined on their website . These 21 divisions are divided into four large sections: valley, central, south, and west bureaus (Los Angeles Police Foundation, 2023). It also must be noted that in each bureau, there is at least one police station.
Source: LA Police Bureaus
Valley Bureau (purple)
This region has the Van Nuys, West Valley, North Hollywood, Foothill, Devonshire, Mission, and Topanga divisions. This bureau is named after the San Gabriel Valley which is the section that it serves. This area is generally and anecdotally characterized to be suburban and residential compared to other parts of Los Angeles (Zubrinsky, 2006).
Central Bureau (orange)
This region has the Central, Rampart, Hollenbeck, Northeast, and Newton divisions. This area is generally and anecdotally characterized to be “crime-ridden” and poverty-stricken (Zubrinsky, 2006). This area most notably has the city’s poorest neighborhood, like Skid Row.
South Bureau (yellow)
This region has the Southwest, Harbor, 77th Street, and Southeast divisions. Like the Central Bureau, this region also is characterized by its “crime-ridden” and poverty stricken nature (Zubrinsky, 2006). One notable location is Watts which is known for its historical significance and has been a focal point for issues related to racial tensions, social inequality, and community empowerment.
West Bureau (blue)
This region has the Hollywood, Olympic, Pacific, West Los Angeles, and Wilshire divisions. This region is characterized to be more affluent and have less crime (Zubrinsky, 2006). Additionally, neighborhoods within the West Bureau have higher median household incomes and lower crime rates compared to other parts of the city.
