LOS ANGELES, April 26, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Law enforcement officials at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) report that crime dropped 14 percent last year -- the third consecutive year of declining crime. Nearly every main classification of crimes against persons and property at LAX decreased last year, while the airport handled an estimated total of 127 million passengers, visitors and employees (an average 344,000 people daily).
Total crimes against persons and property dropped by 348 incidences to 2,093 in 2003 from 2,441 in 2002. Property crimes, which includes theft from individuals, businesses, and vehicles and constitutes 38 percent of all crimes reported, decreased to 790 incidents in 2003 from 986 a year earlier. Airport Police classify a majority of all property thefts as preventable "opportunity thefts", in which victims did not pay attention to their belongings or surroundings.
Arrests rose 17 percent from 818 in 2002 to 956 last year. In the airport environment, one arrest can lead to resolution of several crimes. The crime statistics are compiled from the reports filed by Los Angeles Airport Police and the Los Angeles Police Department at LAX.
"LAX continues to be one of the safest airports in the world, not to mention one of the safest areas in all of Southern California," said Los Angeles Airport Police Chief Bernard J. Wilson. He attributed the drop in crime to continued crime prevention and law enforcement efforts, increased uniformed and plain-clothes officers on patrol, good police work and crime trend analysis, and a system of surveillance cameras known as the V-NET (Video Network).
Of the 6,566,228 vehicles parked at LAX's Central Terminal Area and perimeter parking lots last year, there were 10 auto thefts versus 28 in 2002, when 6,456,658 vehicles parked at the airport. Auto thefts have declined 85 percent since 2000, when LAX handled an all-time record of 67 million passengers.
There were no homicides or rapes in 2003. Assault-and-battery incidents dropped by 29 percent from 88 incidents in 2002 to 63 last year. Assaults with a deadly weapon totaled nine incidents -- the same as the previous year. The number of robberies rose from six in 2002 to 10 in 2003.
Burglaries from airport businesses dropped by five incidents (22 percent) from 23 in 2002 to 18 in 2003. Vehicle burglaries dropped by 64 incidents (eight percent) from 182 in 2002 to 118 in 2003. Theft from motor vehicles rose by seven incidents (15 percent) from 47 in 2002 to 54 in 2003. Vandalism dropped by eight incidents (14 percent) from 59 in 2002 to 51 in 2003.
Administrative offenses -- the largest single statistical category -- dropped five percent from 1,109 in 2002 to 1,052 in 2003. These types of offenses include doing business or making sales without a license; operating a for-hire vehicle without a permit; driving with suspended license; misusing a handicapped placard; failing to obey a law enforcement or traffic officer; loitering; being drunk in public; and various drug-related offenses. Also included in this group is the offense of attempting to carry a prohibited item aboard an aircraft - 264 of the total 1,052. Weapons are not part of this prohibited category. Twenty-eight weapons were seized on airport property during the year.
The statistics cover the 3,600 acres of LAX property, including passenger terminals, parking lots, ramps, cargo areas, and offices.