Serious crime in Los Angeles very much on the rise

It doesn't just feel like violent crime and burglaries are on the way back up in Los Angeles after a years-long drop. Now the stats show that crime is indeed rising across the board and across almost all of the city. If this trend continues, there could be political and policy ramifications (as well as social and cultural fallout) and Mayor Eric Garcetti is having a presser with LAPD Chief Charlie Beck this morning to discuss the crime stats.

The LA Times analyzed crime data it could get ahead of the official media show and concluded: "For the first time in more than a decade, overall crime is up in Los Angeles through the first six months of the year, rising by about 12%...Besides homicide -- which was down about 8% -- all other categories of violent and property crime have increased this year compared with the same period last year."

Violent crime rose 21% -- driven by jumps in aggravated assaults and robberies -- marking the second such increase in a row. The number of shooting victims also rose, by nearly 19%.

Property crime has climbed 10%, driven by across-the-board increases in burglaries, thefts and motor vehicle thefts….

The Times analysis found that just over half of the 21 geographic police divisions experienced violent crime increases greater than 20%. Just one division -- West Valley -- reported a decline in violent crime, which includes homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault.

Central division, which includes parts of downtown and Chinatown, reported the largest violent crime increase in the city, up 67% from the same period last year. The same division also reported the biggest jump in property crime, up 26%.

Also in the Times story: Every police division except Mission in the northeast Valley saw property crime go up — by double digits in half of those areas.