LOS ANGELES, July 14, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Law enforcement officials at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) report that crimes against people and property dropped six percent during the first six months this year compared to the same period in 2003 -- the fourth year of declining crime during the first six months. Nearly every main classification of crimes against persons and property at LAX decreased from January through June this year, during which the airport handled 11 percent more passengers, visitors and employees than last year. An estimated 63 million people passed through LAX during the first six months this year for an average 346,000 people daily.
Crimes against persons and property dropped by 32 incidences to 490 from 522 during the same period last year.
Violent crimes dropped 50 percent to five incidents during the first six months this year from 10 incidents during the same period last year. Violent crimes -- which include homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault -- constitute one percent of the 490 reported crimes against persons and property.
Property crimes -- which include theft from individuals, businesses, and vehicles, and constitute 85 percent of crimes reported -- decreased to 416 incidents the first six months this year from 462 a year earlier. Of the 416 property crimes reported, 319 (or 79 percent) of them were property thefts, for which a large majority were described by Airport Police officials as preventable "opportunity thefts," in which victims did not pay attention to their belongings or surroundings.
Arrests rose 47 percent to 629 during January through June this year from 427 during the same period in 2003. 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 3,485,997 vehicles parked at LAX's Central Terminal Area and perimeter parking lots during January through June this year, there were nine auto thefts versus four during the same period last year, when 3,283,279 vehicles (or 202,718 fewer vehicles) parked at the airport.
An additional separate category of crimes classified as "Other" (or administrative, victimless offenses) increased 30 percent to 645 incidents during the first six months this year from 497 during the same period last year. 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; possessing prohibited items; being drunk in public; and various drug-related offenses. Some of this increase is due to Airport Police's own "sting" operations involving misuse of handicapped placards; law enforcement officers learning that a driver has a suspended license after he/she has been stopped for a vehicle violation; or people bringing prohibited items to the airport. According to Airport Police, many of the crimes in the "Other" category are recorded as the result of accompanying arrests.
The violent crimes category includes homicide (none this year or in 2003); rape (one this year compared to none last year); robbery (one incident this year that resulted in an arrest compared to six last year); and aggravated assault (three incidents this year, of which two were drivers who attempted to run over police officers, compared to four incidents last year).
Burglaries from airport businesses dropped by nine incidents (56 percent) from 16 during the first six months in 2003 to seven this year. Vehicle burglaries dropped by eight incidents (16 percent) from 51 in 2003 to 43 this year. Theft from motor vehicles rose by four incidents (17 percent) from 24 in 2003 to 28 this year.
The statistics cover the 3,600 acres of LAX property, including passenger terminals, parking lots, ramps, cargo areas and offices.